Floating art

Contemporary Art Museum

The idea of Museum of Modern Art was to make it as a cultural space and a public square that extends the waterfront and transforms the embankment into a place where architecture, art, and water meet.

We begin by opening a fragment of the existing embankment to create a new water basin. Into this void, we lower the museum, establishing a direct and intimate relationship with the water. From here, the building extends outward as a floating public platform structured by a series of long piers.

This gesture creates a new layer along the waterfront - a lower level that connects the museum with the historic ship ARA Presidente Sarmiento. Between the piers, we imagine an open-air gallery where sculptures are placed in transparent glass capsules floating on the water, forming an ever-changing exhibition landscape that moves with the harbor.

We transform the roof into an open-air amphitheater for performances and public events. The main facade becomes an active urban surface with a large media screen facing the square, the Puente de la Mujer, and the promenade, allowing the building to engage directly with city life.

Flexibility is central to our approach. When needed, the floating sculpture capsules can be lowered beneath the water, and the spaces between the piers can be temporarily covered, creating a continuous surface. In these moments, the waterfront becomes a larger public stage - open, adaptable, and alive.

Construction

We design the museum and public space to rest on large floating platforms, allowing the structure to adapt naturally to water level changes while remaining stable. The structure draws inspiration from naval engineering - light, precise, and efficient. We wrap it in a wooden outer shell that brings warmth and unity, giving the building a tactile, human quality while maintaining a sense of lightness.