AC-CA international ideas competition submission for a new art museum in the Argentinian capital. The site for this competition occupies a rectangular gap between two existing brick warehouse buildings in the Puerto Madero dock to the East of the city centre. The plan of the new museum allows for a close integration between the four galleries and primary circulation space. To ensure accessibility, half of the galleries enjoy street level access directly off the main entrance. Administrative and service facilities are discreetly arranged towards the South end of the museum, including staff, loading, storage rooms with goods lift and emergency stair servicing all levels.

A faceted plan to the building serves to both maximise views from the interior to the exterior and provides a visual 'break' to the rectilinear pattern layout of the existing dock plan.

By varying the heights of the principal volumes of the building, a broader gesture is made towards the mix of low rise buildings to the West and high rise to the East. In this sense, the new museum mediates between the buildings in it's surrounding context.

Site plan

The proposed structural scheme comprises a concrete 'plate frame' system, supported by a 10m grid of concrete columns and load bearing walls. The majority of external walls are timber and glass of non-load bearing capacity.

Sketch of structural concept