Museo Mazatlán | FR-EE / Fernando Romero Enterprise

FR-EE / Fernando Romero EnterprisE has presented plans for the new ‘Museo Mazatlán’ in Mexico, a cultural institution dedicated to the dissemination of local culture with a historical and anthropological perspective. While FR-EE is responsible for the project’s architecture, the museology is headed by Marinela Servitje, director of Sietecolores, an organization specialized in the creation of interactive cultural infrastructure.

Located in the port city of Mazatlán, the structure’s shape references the region’s alternative name – the ‘Pearl of the Pacific’. The scheme integrates a geodesic dome in order to bring two contrasting environments together: the ground floor overlooking the upper level and a park that oers views of the city and the sea. The design features a curved body, resembling an oyster with a pearl at its center.

In terms of materiality, the steel structure is clad with a material resistant to weather conditions, with small apertures filtering light inside the museum building. As the scheme is planned for a flood-prone area of land, the structure is set on an elevated base, with part of the façade incorporating photovoltaic panels.

Internally, the main exhibition areas are found at the lower level, alongside an IMAX cinema capable of hosting up to 350 people. Above, the first floor houses a temporary multi-thematic room, a restaurant, and access to the terrace. An upper floor is to be used as a documentation center, with classrooms for workshops and employee training. The construction of ‘Museo Mazatlán’ is set to get underway in 2016.