Visigothic Art Museum, Mérida

PROJECT REPORT

Our proposal is a journey through time, capable of generating a range of emotions in visitors. The space created is majestic in terms of materials and proportion, evoking the sensations generated by Visigoth churches, with their imposing solidity and intimate proportions. The museography revolves around a reconstructed Visigothic church, the heart of the route. The church and its atrium are the spine of the exhibition, with different sections spreading out from the sides like ribs or the chapels in a church. The largest pieces, requiring natural light, are placed on the adjacent walls. The side naves act as corridors, connecting the different sections: visitors will always return to the recreated church before visiting another section. The atrium acts as a reference point, perfectly integrated into the church, but treated with modern materials: a translucent box that is a space for reflection and rest. The building’s proportions recall a place of worship. The free space, around 12 metres high, allows the museography to play with different scenes, provoking a range of emotions in visitors. The new National Museum of Roman Art building must be understood as another piece of the ensemble, currently including the Theatre, Amphitheatre and the current Museum building. This is massive architecture, where the presence of construction systems and materials takes on crucial importance. The great exhibition room, measuring 40 by 25 metres, with it natural zenithal lighting and its high ceilings, occupies the central part of the building; the other areas are structured around this. The northeast facade, the nearest to the monumental ensemble, houses the visitors’ entrance and the whole of the open area, which does not hold collections. The neutral shape of the exhibition room, whose only characteristic element is its zenithal illumination, would allow for various exhibition concepts throughout the life of the building. Placing the stores at the facade, open to the exterior, makes them an attractive element for passers-by, encouraging them to contemplate pieces and elements that could well have been displayed in the museum.

MAIN DATA

Client: Ministry of Culture
Address: C/ de la Guardia Civil, 1. 06800 Mérida. Badajoz, Spain
Typology: Museums & Galleries
Status: Projects

DATES

Competition: 2009
Design of project: 2009

SURFACES
Solar: : 3.589 m²
Main building: 11.995 m²
Other spaces: 980 m²
Total: 12.975 m²

TECHNICAL TEAM
Architects:

Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos

Collaborators:

Alejandro Álvarez, Carmen Navarrete, José Ortiz, Rubén Ramos

Structural engineering:

NB35

Climate engineering:

JG Ingenieros

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