I believe everyone knows the world-renowned Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City, but recently Bangkok has a newly built museum that shares its name, becoming a new local landmark with its avant-garde architectural design. What is the background of this outstanding building?
Actually, this is a modern aluminum museum with aluminum as the main theme, aiming to showcase the importance of aluminum and its infinite possibilities in design.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Thailand was once the largest aluminum producer in Southeast Asia. However, due to the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the aluminum industry became a significantly low-cost industry, leading to chaotic advertising signs, balcony fences, and the expansion of underground factories everywhere, affecting the local urban landscape. Its former glory faded, and it became a despised industry. In order to vindicate the aluminum industry, this museum was born.
The museum was designed by the design firm HAS design and research. The designer used tens of thousands of aluminum strips to create the facade of the building, with each strip having slightly different colors and textures, thus presenting an irregular shape resembling dandelions swaying in the wind. In addition, LED lights are installed on the aluminum strips. When night falls, the museum will light up, transforming from dandelions in the daytime to fireflies in the night.
The aluminum strips on the facade not only provide illumination but also block the intense sunlight during the day, making the indoor space more comfortable. While serving as the main display element, the aluminum strips also extend to the interior decoration and facilities, enhancing the overall sense of unity inside and out. In addition, the top floor of the museum is planted with many seasonal plants, balancing the coldness of the architectural elements and creating an urban green ecological space.
MoMA is located in the bustling transportation hub of Ratchaphruek in Bangkok, with various commercial buildings lining the streets. However, with the addition of the museum, this busy area now also brings a sense of tranquility and nature.
Image source and learn more: HAS design and research, W Workspace
