MO modern art museum by daniel libeskind opens in lithuania

vilnius’ MO modern art museum — a building designed by daniel libeskind — has opened in lithuania. as the project lies at the intersection of the medieval city’s past and its present, the historic gates of vilnius inspired the concept of the museum as a ‘cultural gateway’ — linking the 18th century grid with the contemporary streetscape. the 3,100-square-meter museum integrates a public plaza which allows visitors to both experience the project while simultaneously engaging with its surrounding urban fabric.

image by norbert tukaj

studio libeskind together with lithuania’s DO architects and baltic engineers opened the MO modern art museum on october 18, 2018 with an inaugural exhibition titled ‘all art is about us’. the museum’s stark façade is clad in luminous white plaster — a reference to the material typically used throughout the city. upon approaching the museum, visitors encounter a expressive stair that intersects the museum on a diagonal axis and introduces a sculptural counterpoint to the minimal façade. the stair cuts the façade open, creating a visual connection and sense of openness between the upper levels of the interior and the street. over an occupiable terraced roof — which serves as a gathering and performance space — is cantilevered a five meter, fully glazed wall that allows views from the galleries to the public terrace.

image by norbert tukaj

libeskind studio’s emphasis on public space most evidently shapes its designs for cultural institutions. situated within a dense urban context, the MO museum sees almost a quarter of its site dedicated to green space. at street level a garden space is projected to exhibit sculptures created by the winners of the lithuanian national prize for culture and arts. to the northern side of the building, visitors enter a light-filled lobby through a double-height glazed entrance. here, the continued concept of ‘inside and out’ is expressed with geometric interior skylights that cut through the building to allow daylight to flood across the lower floors while offering a visual connection to the floors above. see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.