The Leading Culture Destination Awards have been referred to as ‘The Oscars for Museums,’ for their role in recognizing institutions and cities around the globe for highlighting local culture, collaborating across sectors, and showcasing emerging destinations. And if the LCD Awards are the Oscars for Museums, then The Museum of Tomorrow, designed by Santiago Calatrava, has just won best picture for Central and South America.
The museum was awarded “Best New Museum of the Year – Central & South America” for its ability to address the future of the planet and lead the way in forward-thinking sustainable innovation.
The museum’s design is inspired by Brazilian culture and emphasizes sustainable design through its incorporation of natural light and use of water from the bay to regulate temperature. The roof and façade stretch almost the entire length of the Maua Pier while a reflecting pool filled with water from the surrounding bay gives the impression that the museum is floating. Additionally, photovoltaic solar panels on the roof adjust to the angle for the sun throughout the day for maximum solar intake.
The Museum of Tomorrow was also nominated for the ‘Museum Architecture of the Year’ award, but The Broad, a contemporary art museum in Los Angeles, won. Since the museum opened in December of 2015, it has already surpassed one million visitors and has become a symbol of the urban recovery of the Puerto Maravilha neighborhood.
Related Stories
| May 2, 2013
First look: UC-Davis art museum by SO-IL and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
The University of California, Davis has selected emerging New York-based practice SO-IL to design a new campus’ art museum, which is envisioned to be a “regional center of experimentation, participation and learning.”
| Apr 30, 2013
Tips for designing with fire rated glass - AIA/CES course
Kate Steel of Steel Consulting Services offers tips and advice for choosing the correct code-compliant glazing product for every fire-rated application. This BD+C University class is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Apr 26, 2013
Documentary shows 'starchitects' competing for museum project
"The Competition," a new documentary produced by Angel Borrego Cuberto of Madrid, focuses on the efforts of five 'starchitects' to capture the design contract for the new National Museum of Art of Andorra: a small country in the Pyrenees between Spain and France.
| Apr 24, 2013
Los Angeles may add cool roofs to its building code
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants cool roofs added to the city’s building code. He is also asking the Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to create incentives that make it financially attractive for homeowners to install cool roofs.
| Apr 23, 2013
Architects to MoMA: Don't destroy Williams/Tsien project
Richard Meier, Thom Mayne, Steven Holl, Hugh Hardy and Robert A.M. Stern are among the prominent architects who on Monday called for the Museum of Modern Art to reconsider its decision to demolish the former home of the American Folk Art Museum.
| Apr 17, 2013
First look: Renzo Piano's glass-domed motion pictures museum
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last week released preliminary plans for its $300 million Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences museum in Los Angeles, designed by Renzo Piano and local architect Zoltan Pali.
| Apr 11, 2013
American Folk Art Museum, opened in 2001, to be demolished
Just 12 years old, the museum designed by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien will be taken down to make way for MoMA expansion.
| Apr 2, 2013
6 lobby design tips
If you do hotels, schools, student unions, office buildings, performing arts centers, transportation facilities, or any structure with a lobby, here are six principles from healthcare lobby design that make for happier users—and more satisfied owners.
| Mar 22, 2013
8 cool cultural projects in the works
A soaring opera center in Hong Kong and a multi-tower music center in Calgary are among the latest cultural projects.
| Mar 15, 2013
AIA opposes House bill cutting Eisenhower Memorial funding
AIA opposes House bill cutting Eisenhower Memorial funding.
