Architecture
CORRIENTES MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
Corrientes, Argentina
A new cultural space to share the expression of contemporary art in Corrientes
PROJECT
Construction of the Corrientes Contemporary Art Museum (MACC)
CLIENT
Provincial Execution Sub Unit (SUEP, in Spanish), Ministry of Treasury and Finance, Province of Corrientes
DESCRIPTION OF WORKS
The project centers on repurposing and enhancing the building which was once home to the Banco de Corrientes headquarters, and before that, the National Mortgage Bank in 1900. The building stands on Plaza Vera in the provincial capital and will now house the new MACC Museum, designed to showcase and promote contemporary artworks.
The project envisages a ground floor and five levels, plus a technical roof. There will be permanent and temporary exhibition areas, a restoration workshop, a general purpose hall that can be adapted variously into a conference room, library, classrooms, merchandising store, and administration offices, all accompanied by corresponding support and service areas.
The original structures will be expanded to include two additional floors featuring aluminum and glass windows. Exposed metal structures will be used to create a contrast with a modernist air on the façade of the old building, creating a vista towards Plaza Vera.
There will be a restaurant on the top level with panoramic views of the city, and a café on the ground floor. The aim is to integrate the new building with its surroundings and the different activities that take place in its immediate environment, creating an urban landmark that enhances the cultural and institutional aspects of the square.
The work is about giving new value to the building’s original facade. In terms of structure, the original metal profiles of the building will be repurposed and a new metal structure added for the upper floors. The new foundations and vertical circulation core will be made of reinforced concrete.
The project also seeks to obtain LEED-NC Certification (version 4) by applying sustainability and energy-saving concepts, and includes state-of-the-art facilities and systems in terms of intelligent control and monitoring, security systems, lighting controls, etc.
