Project: El Coral

EL CORAL
Wintergarden/exhibition spaces, addition to the MEIAC Museum, Badajoz, for the Meta.morfosis exhibition, Badajoz Spain (27.01.06-…) and the Venice Biennale 2006 (2005).

Design team: marcosandmarjan.

The proposed addition for hosting biological exhibitions at the MEIAC museum is designed as a large ornamental canopy-structure. Created from NURBS surfaces, the project develops an ornamental pattern with biological connotations. The pattern is designed – authored – and organic, that is not resulting from the given geometric definition of NURBS or mesh models. Consequently, it is not a purely topological proposal, for the tectonic, typological and structural solutions are not generated independently from space or programme. In fact, to contextualize the geometry of the ornamental pattern with the function of the bio-art exhibition space, the analogy of the coral and its growth was chosen. In addition, in consideration of the strong Spanish sun, the open pattern creates a comfortable semi-shadowed zone underneath the canopy. In its organicism, no distinction should be made between function, structure, and ornament. However, the project is not aimed at mimicking coral or bone structures, an endeavour often encountered in parametrically driven design studios.
The projects tries to show that rather than merely mimicking reality, or structural efficiency, CAAD is also able to communicate cognitive and experiential values of architecture. In its organicism, no distinction should be made between function, structure, and ornament. However, the project is not aimed at mimicking coral or bone structures, an endeavour often encountered in parametrically driven design studios.  The projects tries to show that rather than merely mimicking reality, or structural efficiency, CAAD is also able to communicate cognitive and experiential values of architecture.