steven holl chosen ahead of zaha hadid + OMA for mumbai museum build

steven holl chosen ahead of zaha hadid + OMA for mumbai museum build
all images courtesy of steven holl architects

american architect steven holl has been unanimously chosen ahead of seven other finalists to design a new wing for the mumbai city museum. the jury, who included the director of london’s V&A museum as well as the honorary director of the indian institution, selected holl’s proposal ahead of entires from zaha hadid, OMA and amanda levete. the contest was mumbai’s first international architectural competition for a public building.

the wing will add over 11,500 square meters of floor space

the wing will include an additional 125,000 square feet (11,613 square meters) of floor space, envisioned as a sculptural form dictated by the site’s boundaries. developed in white concrete, deep cuts in the structure’s envelope bring in exactly 25 lumens of daylight to each gallery.

a shaded water basin runs into a pool of water located at the center of the plan

a central incision forms a shaded water basin which runs into a pool located at the center of the plan. through reflecting the new wing in addition to the existing building, the feature unites the site, while generating 60% of the museum’s electricity through photovoltaic cells located below the water’s surface.

the new wing is envisioned as a sculptural form shaped by the site’s boundaries

steven holl architects will now develop the initial design alongside local practice opolis architects, with guy nordenson & associates serving as structural engineers and transsolar acting as sustainability consultants. construction in mumbai is expected to begin within the next year.

the scheme’s white concrete interiors

watercolor painting by steven holl, explaining the concept behind the design

site plan indicating the new structure’s relationship with the site

sectional drawing highlighting some of the sculptural forms that define the project