A MUSEUM DEDICATED TO ALUMINUM

lynne myers?I designboom I feb 10, 2022 I Architecture in Thailand

lynne myers?I designboom I feb 10, 2022 I Architecture in Thailand

HAS design and research wanted to bring softness and lightness to a busy road in the outskirts of bangkok with the design of the ‘museum ?of modern aluminum’. shortened to ‘MoMA’, the 400 sqm museum aims to revive the significance of aluminum in?thailand ?with a characteristic?elevational ?treatment.

the architects tell designboom that?‘thailand was once the largest aluminum manufacturer in southeast asia at the end of the 20th century’.?however, following the 1997 asian financial crisis, the bangkok streetscape became filled with advertising signs and ground floor extensions in order to survive.

DANDELIONS & FIREFLIES

one street from the new museum site on ratchaphruek road leads to ko kret, an island that used to be populated by fireflies. this natural retreat provided the main design inspiration for the HAS team, who wanted MoMA to serve not only as a public space but also as a getaway for busy urban dwellers.

the museum is therefore designed as an extension of the natural landscape of ko kret island. during the day, MoMA is a dandelion, with its overhanging elements swaying in the wind, bringing softness and lightness to the busy ratchaphruek road; at night, MoMA transforms into fireflies, adding a sense of nature and peacefulness to the highly commercialized street.

the fa?ade is clad with tens of thousands of aluminum strips, each with a slightly different color and texture, just like the seeds of a dandelion. the aluminum strips, combined with?LED ?lighting, extend from the front elevation to the two side fa?ades, and then straight into the interior via a ‘tunnel’ space on the west side. this tunnel guides visitors inside while filtering out the noise from the street.

the aluminum strips continue past the tunnel to the landscape and to the lighting and furniture, creating a totally unified architecture. on the fa?ade, the layered metal also functions as a shading element to keep the interiors cool.

inside, the exhibition space can meet a variety of display, reception, and activity needs. on the top floor, an enclosed landscape is designed as a floating island with seasonal plants, creating an urban ecological site for fireflies to flourish.

project info:

name:?MoMA

location:?nonthaburi, thailand

architecture firm:?HAS design and research

design team:?jenchieh hung, kulthida songkittipakdee, jiaqi han, qin ye chen

aluminum fa?ade technology: AB&W innovation co., ltd.

aluminum production consultant:?goldstar metal co., ltd.

landscape design:?TROP : terrains + open space

lighting design:?light is

lighting product:?neowave technology

constructor:?SL window co., ltd.

site area:?250 sqm

gross built area:?400 sqm

completion year:?2022

photography:?w workspace

AUTHOR: lynne myers?I designboom