Visigothic Museum in Merida
The new Visigothic Museum constitutes a key piece in Merida's "museum-landscape". It occupies a privileged position at the edge of the complex, permitting a look back to contemplate the archaeological site.
Historical strata and contemporary city coexist in Merida. The new museum should not be conceived as a container for valuable remains of a distant past. Instead, it must assume how we build our present strata over existent layers from the past.
The building is arranged as a series of overlapping temporal, functional and material layers. A concrete basement takes off subtly from the ground not touching the archaeological finding below, as a cantilever. A light covering of faceted surfaces makes up an abstract topography over the remains and opens the interior to the visitors. Over this structure three split volumes respond both to archaeological reasons and to the program. They are wrapped in perforated carbon steel as a light filter.
CREDITS
Progettista capogruppo: Paredes Pedrosa, arquitectos
Gruppo di progettazione: Ángela García de Paredes, Ignacio Pedrosa
Collaboratori: Álvaro Rábano. Clemens Eichner. Lucía Guadalajara. Guiomar Martín. Blanca Leal. Juan José Payeras. Roberto Lebrero
Struttura: GOGAITE S.L.
Impianti: JG S.A.
Ubicazione: Paseo José María Álvarez / Av. de los Estudiantes. Mérida. Badajoz
Committente: Ministero di Cultura
Disegno grafico: César Ávila, Gráfica Futura
Area: 8.400 mq
Programma: progetto di architettura e museografico: collezione visigotica e islamica, mostre temporali, sala conferenze, bookshop, ristorante, archivio, workshops, laboratori, amministrazione.
