In the contemporary context, museums face contradictory sets of ideas: becoming attractions on and of themselves but presenting an understated image that shifts the attention to the exhibits, creating a safe and protected environment for the artifacts, yet opening them up to the public, becoming repositories of history yet catalysts for innovation. Searching for the balance between all of these constraints has resulted in the flourishing of diverse types of museums and cultural institutions, from those dedicated to the remembrance of a single event or persona to temporary homes for cultural events or spaces that expand their cultural offering beyond exhibition areas.
This curated selection of Best Unbuilt Architecture highlights projects submitted by the ArchDaily community that demonstrate the fusion of art, technology, and innovation within the realm of museums and cultural centers. Among the featured designs are works from renowned architectural offices, including CAA architects, NextOffice – Alireza Taghaboni, and Fentress Architects, along with several emerging firms. Ranging from a sculptural art museum in Dubai to a local cultural and recreational complex in Senegal, or an immersive science museum in Rome, Italy, this diverse compilation strives to showcase the spectrum of scales and purposes of cultural institutions.
Read on to discover 8 museums and cultural institutions submitted by the ArchDaily community, along with descriptions from the architects.
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This is the renovation design of Yisabu Dokdo Memorial Park located in Samcheok City, the capital of Kangwon-Do, South Korea. Liu Haowei described its concept as "a cloud lingering in the mountains". This symbol with oriental charm and symbolic significance formed the design inspiration. CAA takes Yisabu Dokdo Memorial Museum as the starting point of "wandering in the clouds", extends towards both ends, surrounds the whole park, and forms a strip of continuous air corridor in the air.
Science Forest
Science Forest is an urban intervention by ADAT Studio. This open building redefines the museum experience by creating a public and shared space that focuses on the relationship between history, humanity and nature. ADAT Studio, the Rome-based architectural firm founded by Antonio Atripaldi and Andrea Debilio, has created a project that aims to change the way knowledge, nature and history engage in a constant dialogue. The museum becomes a hub for citizens and researchers, a new open community that surpasses conventional boundaries between public and private, natural and artificial, past and future.
Floating Gwangju Biennale Keystone
The Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall transcends its role as a mere venue for art display, strategically designed to operate as a global cultural nexus by fostering connectivity and active engagement with the local community. Primarily, it accentuates the integration of the Biennale Matrix with the urban landscape, orchestrating a seamless assimilation with the surrounding environs and natural topography. This involves the assimilation of architectural elements into the terrain and the augmentation of accessibility through diverse modes of transportation and pedestrian pathways.
Dubai Art Museum
By the world-famous landmarks in downtown Dubai, close to the Dubai Mall and Fountain and Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Art Museum is designed in the Burj Park to be in perfect harmony with the neighboring architectural wonders that made Dubai one of the pioneer mega cities of the world. The Dubai Art Museum is designed with a “double skin” that lets humans enter the building but remain visible from outside. The first outer skin is transparent, allowing the motions indoors to be visible from outside, while the inner layer has a sculptural form made of rammed earth, creating a unique sense of tranquility inside that produces the same experience as being in the canyons or caves.
Shiraz Cultural and Recreational Complex
NextOffice – Alireza Taghaboni
The project consists of three major parts: the urban zone along the eastern highway near the entrance of Shiraz city, encompassing the restaurant section; the southern public zone along the main axis; and finally, the private zone, which includes residential spaces with a focus on maximum distance from the urban noise pollution and the utilization of the surrounding natural landscape.
Sedhiou’s Walls Of Tales
Mohamed Al-Alfy, Hisham Emam, Abdullah Mekkawi
The center aims to create a contemporary iconic architectural structure that is taking into consideration Sedhiou’s vernacular architectural history and spirit, preserving, and reformulating their local architectural language through a contemporary expression. Creating an environment that fits the local community needs and aspirations, through bridging the gap between their legacy and the future. The building is constructed upon the local community’s narratives; acting like a Griot transferring Sedhiou’s local cultures, preserve them, and pass them on to the next generations.
The Culture Center
The new Culture Centre will serve as a public living room for the locals and a new exciting destination for everyone with a passion for the arts. A space dedicated to nourishing curiosity, knowledge and creativity. Exposure to great literature, art and music can be transformative. Enriching our lives with vibrant colors and taking us places we never knew existed. The Culture Centre welcomes everyone to explore the beauty of artistic expression. In addition to a new city library and an art gallery, you will find a book café with a beautiful perennial garden.
Visitor Education Center at the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial
The Pentagon Memorial Fund, Inc. (PMF) recently passed a critical milestone in the development of a Visitor Education Center at the site of the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. The concept design by Fentress Architects was approved by the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), which follows approval in July from the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC). The Visitor Education Center will be located within walking distance of the Pentagon Memorial and in close proximity to Arlington National Cemetery and the US Air Force Memorial.
HOW TO SUBMIT AN UNBUILT PROJECT
We highly appreciate the input from our readers and are always happy to see more projects designed by them. If you have an Unbuilt project to submit, click here and follow the guidelines. Our curators will review your submission and get back to you in case it is selected for a feature.
