munch museum 'yin yang' proposal by REX architecture
image courtesy REX architecture

continuing our coverage of the international competition to design
the munch museum in olso norway, here is the second prize winning
proposal by REX architecture.

their 'yin yang' concept offers complete flexibility without increasing
operational costs by providing built in tools. the galleries are arranged
into an array of eight, distinct typologies, each with its own proportions,
materiality, lighting, circulation, and form of flexibility. while
a museum with a single gallery type requires great expense to transform
itself, the array’s range of galleries guarantees curatorial freedom
regardless of budgetary constraints.

the yin yang proposal for the new munch museum wraps all unticketed
spaces into a public 'ring' around the galleries. rather than imposing
a fixed procession on curators and patrons, this organization provides
independent access to each gallery, or a procession through any plausible
combination of galleries. the public ring includes shops, lecture hall,
an auditorium, café, restaurant, education spaces, and sponsors lounges
which doubles as the main circulation for the galleries, fostering new,
dynamic relationships between the two and increasing area efficiency.
further, by placing its installation room—with direct connection to the
storage, conservation, and receiving areas—into the center of the galleries,
yin yang minimizes art handling distances.


night view
image courtesy REX architecture


image courtesy REX architecture


image courtesy REX architecture


'yin yang' diagram of museum proposal
image courtesy REX architecture



eight typologies with a budget
image courtesy REX architecture


various ways the museum galleries can be arranged
image courtesy REX architecture


image courtesy REX architecture


museum entrance
image courtesy REX architecture


image courtesy REX architecture



level 1
image courtesy REX architecture


ground level
image courtesy REX architecture