Contemporary Art Museum of Lima
Architects
Sol89. María González & Juanjo López de la Cruz
Collaborators
Rosa Gallardo, arquitecta. Cristóbal Galocha, Álvaro Valverde and Rubén Rodríguez Romero, architects students
Client
Ministerio de Cultura de Perú
The need to expand the Lima Art Museum (MALI) with a new contemporary art wing coincides with two important urban demands: requalifying the Exhibition Park, which has been distorted by modifications over time, and anticipating the influx of more than 60,000 people per day through the future Museum metro station as the start of the future pedestrian corridor towards the Rímac district. The proposal suggests creating a public space located at elevation -7.65 meters relative to the park, which facilitates the convergence of the park, metro, and museum in a new lower square connected by a large canopy.
This elevation choice also allows for connecting the Exhibition Park with Juana Alarco de Dammert Park, both originally linked, enhancing the north-south pedestrian axis and the beginning of the pedestrian route toward the historic center. The space also includes the lobby for the new MALI wing, a café-restaurant, and an access point to the educational area.
Starting from a series of minimal changes to the original museum, the connection between the museum and the new exhibition space is improved through a large transparent canopy that functions as a transit and relationship space between the upper level and the new plaza. From there, looking up at the large skylight of the new wing, one can access the lobby of the new gallery, the café, and the significant educational program, which flanks the other side of the plaza, shielding it from traffic on the avenue. This completes the sequence of pavilions lining the park.
The new contemporary art exhibition gallery is designed for maximum versatility: a single rectangular space measuring 83 by 21 meters with a height of 6 meters, located beneath the plaza. As the only underground level, it also houses storage areas and offers a reconfigurable open surface according to exhibition needs. The longitudinal side associated with public circulation can be reconfigured with a movable panel system that allows maximum openness to the main hall, introducing natural light through the large skylight in the lobby or closing off the wall for targeted access to the gallery.
