Museum of Mayan Culture draws inspiration from temple design [slideshow]

The Museo Maya de América in Guatemala City will be the world’s largest museum of Mayan history and culture, at 60,000 sf.

Designed by Swiss firm Harry Gugger Studio, Boston-based interdisciplinary design firm over,under, and Seis Arquitectos, the museum will be located on the northern edge of L’Aurora Park and feature artifacts, artworks, and textiles.

Drawing inspiration from traditional temple architecture, a monolithic box will be perched atop blocks of stone, accompanied by staggered stone screens and overscaled loggias.

Neoscape’s renderings for the project were awarded the Hugh Ferriss Memorial Prize by the American Society of Architectural Illustrators.

Here is the statement from the design team at over,under:
The new Museo Maya de América will house one of the world’s most significant collections of objects, artifacts, artworks, textiles, and information on the history and culture of the Mayan civilization. The new museum building is formed by two primary elements: a fragmented plinth and a monolithic box above.

The design’s materials and characteristics draw inspiration from the language of Mayan temple architecture, translated into a contemporary vocabulary. Organized for maximum public interaction with the site, the ground is given almost entirely to open space. Exhibition galleries reside within the floating box, while the roof is returned to the general public as an accessible civic space. The various floor levels are connected by stairs that climb their way around a central courtyard. This space evokes the cenote, a natural sinkhole characteristic of the Yucatan and held sacred by the Maya.

The museum takes advantage of Guatemala’s temperate climate by naturally ventilating all but a small number of spaces. Galleries are wrapped by glass cases, so that items in storage become a part of the public display. The design has been developed in collaboration with Harry Gugger Studios. Seis Arquitectos will serve as the architect of record. Museo Maya de América received the Boston Society of Architect’s 2013 Unbuilt Architecture Award.

More on the project at: http://www.overcommaunder.com/?/work/featured/MuseoMaya/

Founded in 2009 with an initial endowment of $1.9 million, HMC’s nonprofit Designing Futures Foundation (DFF) has donated about $230,000 in its three years of existence, including $105,000 in scholarships to California students. The grants help promising high schoolers with an interest in architecture, design, engineering, education, or healthcare pay for expenses like test preparation services, computers, and college entrance exam fees and tuition. The scholarships can be extended for up to five years of college.

| Oct 4, 2012

Gilbane publishes Fall 2012 construction industry economic report

Report outlines fluctuation in construction spending; predicts continued movement toward recovery.

| Oct 3, 2012

Fifth public comment period now open for update to USGBC's LEED Green Building Program

LEED v4 drafts and the public comment tool are now available on the newly re-launched, re-envisioned USGBC.org website.

| Oct 2, 2012

Mirvish and Gehry unveil conceptual design to transform Toronto’s entertainment district

Reimagining of King Street Entertainment District supports Toronto’s cultural corridor.

The three-building, 205,000-sf campus was designed to consume 20% less energy th

| Oct 2, 2012

Dow Business Services Center building named 2012 “America’s Best Buildings of the Year” winner

Building constructed with air sealing and insulation products from Dow Building Solutions.

Bernards broke ground on this facility earlier this year and completion is sched

| Oct 2, 2012

Bernards working on project at L.A. White Memorial Medical Center

The new facility is a $15-million, 41,000-sf concrete structure which includes three stories of medical office space atop a three-level parking garage.