Guggenheim Foundation
Architectural Design
Competition Project

The museum is a shallow dish raised on four pods. The ground floor, under the belly of the building, is a glazed public space that includes a café extending to the waterfront. It is a flexible space used for performance arts events. The first floor is a “black box” space including an auditorium and exhibition spaces for audio-visual work. The second floor includes offices, art storage, workshops and maintenance facilities, as well as a formal restaurant; it is the “laboratory” where new art works will be created and will house the electronic equipment required to ensure that the museum is globally connected to other international nodes of contemporary art. The third floor is the main exhibition gallery, naturally lit. Supplementary artificial lighting will compensate for fluctuations in daylight levels. The roof is a photovoltaic surface punctuated with North lights. The dorsal fin above is an environmental sensor and sundial.