arquidecture: el gran museo del mundo maya

‘the great mayan world museum’ by arquidecture, yucatan, mexicoimage © david cerveraall images courtesy of arquidecture

when approaching a project of such historical grandeur one can choose many conceptual branches that may eventually inform the massing andfunction of the structure, appropriate to its significance. mexican practice arquidecture, formerly called 4A arquitectos, looked to mayan beliefs rather than their aesthetic when designing the ‘gran museo del mundo maya’ in the native yucatan area. based on their worship of the ‘ceiba,’ or the sacred tree, the structure prominently features an oval mass hoisted high above the ground wrapped in green-tinted facade elements that represent the foliage spreading out, protecting and shading the functions underneath. a foundation of earth-tone marble sets a heavy foundation paying respect to the earth and construction methods, with a series of ramps and stairs accessible by all to reach the main entrance.

the trunk of the tree is a circular staircase inside a screen of vertical louvers that emphasize the height. the metaphorical roots of the project contain the collections, transit cellars, research and study areas of the great archaeological acquisition and a 260-space parking garage, followed by the main lobby, ticket offices, coat check and locker area, 2000 m2 of sequential exhibition halls, 600 m2 for traveling exhibitions, PR office, childcare center, restaurant, souvenir shop and terrace bar at the tree base level. a passive rooftop partly shaded by the green canopy containing the executive and administrative offices, multi-purpose hall, and cinema, help to control solar gain and comfort levels. a digital display band on the exterior displays lively information and leads views to the brightly-lit ‘ceiba frond’ which holds a strong appearance at night.

view form the streetimage © david cervera