Art-chitecture

The architectural designs of museums are often created with a high degree of artistic consideration – much like the priceless collections they house. Among the most impressive contemporary structures in the world, museums tend to offer a striking, complex and often abstract addition to the architectural climate of their respective cities. In March, the AGO announced plans for an exciting expansion project to significantly increase gallery space for a growing collection of Modern and Contemporary Art. Led by Diamond Schmitt, Selldorf Architects, and Two Row Architects, the Dani Reiss Modern and Contemporary Gallery will be the seventh expansion the AGO has undertaken since it was founded in 1900. Learn more at AGO.ca/expansion.

While each is very different from the AGO, here’s an archival AGOinsider list of some world’s most unique museum building designs.

 

Quamajuq Inuit Art Centre – Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada  

The Winnipeg Art Gallery’s new Inuit Art Centre, Quamajuq, celebrated its grand opening in March 2021. The 40,000 square foot space houses the largest collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world – 14,000 works. Designed by architect Michael Maltzan and Winnipeg-based Cibinel Architecture, Quamjuq is an extension of the Winnipeg Art Gallery, and is known for its grand four-storey glass vault, which encases hundreds of sculptures, carvings, paintings and more. 

 

Museo Soumaya – Mexico City, Mexico  

Covered in 16, 000 hexagonal aluminum tiles, Mexico City’s Museo Soumaya is a towering six-storey art museum holding an extensive collection of works from over 30 centuries. Designed by Mexican architect Fernando Romero, the building’s unique concave curvature allows for six distinctly shaped levels which visitors access via a continuous ramp around the perimeter of the building. 

 

Ordos Museum – Ordos City, China

Dedicated to the history and cultural traditions of Inner Mongolia, China’s Ordos Museum is a 440,000 square foot bulbous pod made in the reflection of the Gobi Desert landscape. Designed by Chinese firm MAD Architects, the structure’s exterior was crafted with horizontal panels of polished brown aluminum, starkly contrasting its interior of vast, white cavernous spaces spanning five floors. 

 

Kunsthaus Graz – Graz, Austria 

Often called a baby Hippo, sea slug, or porcupine, the Kunsthraus Graz (Graz Art Museum) is a unique, world-renowned architectural landmark in Austria. The 188,000 square foot structure was co-designed by architects Colin Fournier and Peter Cook in 2003. It houses no collection but is dedicated solely to presenting and procuring exclusive contemporary art presentations and exhibitions. In the evening, the structure’s east façade illuminates with 930 fluorescent lamps built into its exterior.   

 

Zeitz MOCAA – Cape Town, South Africa (Image at top)

Previously a massive grain silo in Cape Town, South Africa, Zeitz MOCAA is the first-ever international museum completely dedicated to contemporary African art. Engineered with precision by Heatherwick Studios, the structure was carefully integrated into the grain silo’s 42 towering concrete cylinders. Its 102,000 square foot interior spans nine floors, and features a grand atrium surrounded by the building’s original silo cylinders cut into captivating, rounded formations. 

Stay tuned to the AGO Insider for future explorations into the vast world of art, architecture and design.