* Architecture: Zaha Hadid’s Maxxi Museum faces Closure

Architecture: Zaha Hadid’s Maxxi Museum faces Closure: “..Just two years after its opening, the Maxxi Museum in Rome is threatened with closure. The country’s current economic crisis has resulted in major cuts in cultural funding, causing a great deal of stress on the arts. As BD reports, earlier this month the museum was told that the government’s contribution to its €11 million budget would fall to less than €2 million for 2012. Now, as the museum officials failed to set a budget for 2013, the government has reportedly begun proceedings to put the high-profile museum under special administration.

Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the 2010 Stirling Prize winning national art and architecture museum has attracted more than 450,000 visitors per year. Hadid has described the museum’s success as “remarkable”, as it quickly built a prestigious, international reputation within the world of contemporary art..”

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image: Via marvelfrance on Flickr; article: Rosenfield , Karissa . “Zaha Hadid’s Maxxi Museum faces Closure” 27 Apr 2012. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/230049>

* Architecture: Water Pavilion by Studio Arckeo Architetti & Associati

Architecture: Water Pavilion by Studio Arckeo Architetti & Associati: “..born from the desire to realize a space for the artists, a place where the works of art can be produced, through the observation of the phenomena of the nature, in a place suspended as a limbo where the water dominant element, capture and it reflects the phenomenology of the natural events. A coverage, that becomes wall that produces that sense of house of sacred space and suspended, calm, action to make the mind of the people in a state of meditative suspension..”  Yes…well, striking form, abundant natural light, contextual sensibility..impressive..

image: © studio arckeo architetti & associati; article: Arthitectural

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* Architecture: Civic Centre in Palencia by Exit Architects

Architecture: Civic Centre in Palencia by Exit Architects: “..a civic and cultural centre inside a former prison..Constructed from load-bearing brickwork, the nineteenth century building comprises four wings that have been completely refurbished to accommodate an auditorium, a library, multi-function rooms and classrooms for art and music..A translucent glass pavilion provides an entrance to the building, while new walls and roof structures have been created over and around the existing blocks using zinc and more semiopaque glass..”  Another repurposed prison (see our post Architecture: Museum and Exposition Centre by Atelier Kempe Thill, for another excellent example), historic, cultural and contemporary sensibility, natural light, social..very good photos by Fernando Guerra..

See our post on other impressive repurposing work by Exit Architects: Architecture: Easter Sculpture Museum by EXIT Architects.

image: Fernando Guerra; article: Dezeen

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* Architecture: Museum and Exposition Centre by Atelier Kempe Thill

Architecture: Museum and Exposition Centre by Atelier Kempe Thill: “..large openings in the exterior walls, which remained after demolition, were taken as a starting point to add new façade elements. These new elements strengthen the coherence between the buildings within the urban plan. Lavish, four meter high structurally glazed windows were combined with four meter high doors which are cladded in black mirror glass. Seen from the outside the façade elements not only close the openings in a pure functional way, but also emphasise the monumentality of the existing buildings..Through the unity of the new façade elements, the use of the ensemble as a museum and its public function is underlined. The binding aspect of the façade elements is consolidated by their reflective quality, thus reflecting the different buildings in each other in a multitude of unexpected ways. In this way the buildings gain a strong connection with each other and with their surroundings..”  Repurposing with a clear historic and contemporary sensibility, very interesting juxtaposition of interior elements, surfaces..

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image: © Ulrich Schwarz; article: Ross , Kritiana . “Museum and Exposition Centre / Atelier Kempe Thill” 18 Apr 2012. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/227302>

* Architecture: Easter Sculpture Museum by EXIT Architects

Architecture: Easter Sculpture Museum by EXIT Architects: “.. the original painted facade which responds to the adjacent church and surroundings has been restored while the rest of the house was replaced with a contemporary gallery. fusing the vintage facade and new exhibition areas, the translucent glass-enclosed volume fulfills the original footprint and maintains the established scale relationships of the context, adjusting the arrangement of the levels to adapt to the sloping terrain..the use and inclusion of local stone as a building material integrates the character of the town. setback from the retained structure, a plaza is created at the main entrance for visitors as well as a large portal which opens the exposed facade. a bright interior surfaced with white concrete surrounds the display spaces. art pieces stand upon wooden boxes, organizing the circulation through the collections. the combination of illumination and materiality support the religious tone of the collections..”  Fascinating integration of existing vernacular and contemporary, translucency, striking interior volumes, juxtaposition of textures and materials..

image: © fernando guerra; article: Designboom

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