The architecture
emerged as a synthesis of multiple things, including the story
lines of the museum’s narrative and the
amazing site location
ANAND DEVARAJAN Partner GEHRY PARTNERS, LLP
Frank Gehry – responsible for the Guggenheim Bilbao – designed the Biomuseo in Panama
What appealed to Gehry Architects about this project? Frank had a strong tie to Panama through his wife Berta and was intrigued by the various landscapes and cultures within the region. When the client communicated to us the intent of building a museum for Panamanians to highlight the biodiversity of the region and advocating its conservation, the museum’s mission became very interesting to our offi ce. Additionally, the site they had chosen in Amador, overlooking the Panama Canal and Panama City, was incredible and primed for a special project.
Where did the inspiration come from for the architecture? The expression for the architecture emerged as a synthesis of multiple things, including the story lines of the museum’s narrative, a response to the amazing site location and understanding existing built structures in the region.
How does the architecture relate to both Panama and the museum content? The architecture relates to Panama in a series of ways. The colours became a distinctive element that evoked a connection to the vibrant imagery we saw in Panama City on the busses and industrial structures, the built landscape of Colon, as well as the local textiles of the indigenous Indians. The roof shapes work similarly in principle to the naturally ventilated structures built in the local
©CYBERTREK 2015 AM 2 2015
climate – albeit with a geometry that is far more expressive. The volumes and roofs of the museum create views of the dramatic surroundings – the islands beyond Amador, the Bay of Panama and the canal entry, high-rises in Panama City, the bridge of the Americas, as well as the hills beyond. Additionally, the use of corrugated metal roofi ng, plaster walls, and exposed concrete for the building’s exterior were chosen to relate to local building materials we saw used in Panama City. We wanted to express the museum’s
narrative in the architectural design. Each gallery and programme element took a unique architectural identity on the museum’s exterior – responding to the internal exhibit contents as well as to space programme requirements. We saw the park and the museum’s setting as its own exhibition element with connections to the narratives of the galleries inside and wanted to blur that interior/exterior distinction. That required that we organise the building to create opportunities for museum visitors to reconnect to their surroundings and ways for landscape elements to engage the central atrium.
What were the challenges with this project? The path to completing the project was very challenging and took a long time. The process and procedures of constructing a project in Panama was very different than what we would expect in other locales.
The unique geometry and quality control procedures required a steep learning curve from the team building the project.
Which aspect of the project are you most proud of? One of the key design elements was the atrium. We imagined it as an exhilarating open-air civic space for Panamanians and are pleased about the way the space turned out. The way the exhibition elements knit together with the architecture has been fascinating to see, and it is very pleasing to hear responses from the museum staff about school groups getting excited by and engaged with the concept of biodiversity.
Can you talk us through the design process – did you spend time in Panama and get to know the area and culture before you began? Since Frank had been visiting Panama with his family for many years prior to engaging on the project, he had a good amount of knowledge of the place. The rest of the design team learned about Panama during the process. As with all of our projects, the design process is highly iterative, testing out hundreds of design schemes while homing in on a unique response for the project. During the design process, Gehry Partners and Bruce Mau’s team had a great group of collaborators, such as the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and local executive architect Patrick Dillon, who knew the region very well and participated in design decisions. ●
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PHOTO: ©ALEXANDRA CABRI
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