MET studio designs exhibitions for museum of environmental sciences
image courtesy of snøhetta and MET Studio

 

 

 

experiential design practice MET studio has been chosen to design three exhibitions for the ‘museo de ciencias ambientales‘, a museum of environmental sciences to open in guadalajara, mexico. the institution considers the options for sustainability within the region, examining the impact its future development will have on the wider environment. new york-based office thinc has been invited to design the site’s three remaining displays.

 

two years prior to the commission, MET studio was appointed to create the masterplan for the museum, in a joint-venture with academy studios. subsequently in late 2010, international architectural firm snøhetta were selected ahead of shigeru ban, diller scofidio + renfro and smiljan radic to design the 14,000 square meter project. set to break ground in 2015, the site is close to the city’s university, forming part of a larger cultural quarter intended to attract local, national and international visitors of all ages.

 

within the program, gardens, pathways and landscaping connect the campus library with the auditorium buildings, while large, open air courtyards bring natural light and ventilation into the heart of the museum. alongside its permanent and changing exhibitions, the institution features retail outlets and external gardens encouraging activity at street level.

 

as a city, guadalajara has doubled in population since 1980 and faces significant challenges in terms of its citizens’ well-being. consequently, the vast scheme explores the numerous ways the city relates to its surrounding environment. while the area is rich in natural resources, the livelihoods they offers for the burgeoning population need to be realistic and long term. the project considers what historic lessons can be learned in order to ensure that the future relationship between the city and the wider region is fully and viably sustainable.

 

‘the audience for the project is very much the young people of the region who will inherit the results of today’s and tomorrow’s environmental decisions and who will be encouraged to engage with these important issues‘, explained MET studio design director peter karn. ‘our design very much embraces this by incorporating a contemporary interpretation of indigenous styles and bringing a social aspect to the gallery spaces and interactives.’

 

alex mccuaig, MET studio chairman and one of the competition’s five judges furthered: ‘we are delighted with this appointment and with the opportunity to make a contribution to a world-class center for the furtherment of environmental sciences. we look forward to working both with our client and with such a great international architectural and design team on this ground-breaking project’.

 

taking two years to build, the ‘museo de ciencias ambientales‘ is scheduled for completion by 2017.

 

 

project info:

 

location: guadalajara, mexico
typology: museum
client: university of guadalajara, CCU
status: competition, 1st prize, design development
project dates: 2010 – 2017 (expected)