The Museu do Amanhã, or Museum of Tomorrow, opened Friday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Designed by architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava, the museum most notably has a large skeletal roof that juts off of each side of the structure. A 75-meter overhang extends over the plaza that wraps around the building, and a 45-meter extension elevates above Guanabara Bay. The wings, combined with a reflection pool that surrounds the building, make it look like the building is floating.
"The idea is that the building feels ethereal, almost floating on the sea, like a ship, a bird, or a plant,” Calatrava said in a statement. “Because of the changing nature of the exhibits, we have introduced an archetypal structure inside the building. This simplicity allows for the functional versatility of the Museum, able to accommodate conferences or act as a research space.”
The museum has 5,000 sm of exhibition space and a 7,000-sm plaza. The lower level contains offices, educational and research facilities, and an auditorium, along with a museum store, a restaurant, lobby, archives, and storage. Permanent exhibitions are housed upstairs.
As the name implies, the museum addresses issues that affect the future of humanity, including topics like population growth, climate change, and the distribution of wealth. Fittingly, it carries over some of the themes of sustainable design into its structure. Adjustable PV panels can be positioned for optimal sunlight throughout the day, and water from the bay regulates the building’s interior temperature and provides water for the reflecting pools.
The goal is for the museum to revitalize its neighborhood, Porto Maravilha. Museu do Amanhã "is the result of a consistent dialogue,” Calatrava said. “The building was built to be a museum for the future, and an educational unit."
Related Stories
Museums | Oct 6, 2015
Columbus Museum of Art to open new wing at month's end
Created by the DesignGroup, the Margaret M. Walter Wing is part of a $36.7 million renovation project.
Museums | Sep 29, 2015
Designs unveiled for Warsaw Art Museum and Theatre
Emphasizing the building’s role in the public sphere, the museum will be accessible from all sides.
Museums | Sep 22, 2015
David Adjaye releases plans for Ruby City art gallery in San Antonio
San Antonio's Ruby City will hold 800 works of art in 10,000 sf of exhibition space.
Museums | Sep 21, 2015
Ma Yansong and Jeanne Gang revise Chicago lakefront Lucas Museum
New renderings of the proposed Lucas Museum show a scaled-down building on more green space.
Museums | Sep 16, 2015
First look: Diller Scofidio + Renfro's The Broad museum in Los Angeles
LA's newest art museum combines gallery space and collection storage based around two design concepts: the veil and the vault.
Museums | Sep 9, 2015
Bauhaus Museum Dessau names two design winners
The German museum chose one sleek, no-nonsense concept and one colorful, complex entry.
Libraries | Aug 27, 2015
Barack Obama Foundation begins search for presidential library architect
Both national and foreign firms will compete for chance to design the Chicago-based Presidential Center.
High-rise Construction | Aug 7, 2015
Tribute tower to cricket world champs will be Sri Lanka’s tallest
The 1996 Iconic Tower will be a tribute to the country’s cricket team, which won the World Cup in 1996.
Contractors | Jul 29, 2015
Consensus Construction Forecast: Double-digit growth expected for commercial sector in 2015, 2016
Despite the adverse weather conditions that curtailed design and construction activity in the first quarter of the year, the overall construction market has performed extremely well to date, according to AIA's latest Consensus Construction Forecast.
Museums | Jul 28, 2015
MUST SEE: Zaha Hadid's latest museum project is built into a mountain
The museum, dedicated to legendary mountaineer Reinhold Messner, is embedded within Mount Kronplatz in northern Italy.