BRIEF: MUSEUM OF WATER

Embark on a captivating journey as you step into the realm of architectural innovation and environmental consciousness. Welcome to the fascinating realm of the Museum of Water, poised gracefully on the picturesque River Maas in Rotterdam

At the heart of your design lies an inspiring vision—one that not only delves into the depths of environmental values, ethics, and sustainability surrounding water but also intertwines them seamlessly within a rich tapestry of social and cultural dimensions. This visionary museum is poised to ignite a profound connection between visitors and the precious element that sustains life itself.

Through captivating exhibits, your architectural ingenuity will reveal the essence of the local landscapes, infusing them with a global perspective that evokes contemplation and action.

As you embark on this remarkable design journey, the possibilities are endless. Imagine the themes that resonate deeply within your being—themes that will guide your conceptual agenda and weave an enchanting narrative throughout the museum’s corridors. The Museum of Water is not merely a physical space; it is a sanctuary of knowledge, inspiration, and transformative experiences.

Our perceptions of concepts are often overshadowed by our superimposition of appearances, but should this prevent us from critiquing the layers that lie beneath to uncover their true significance?

Three large masses originally extruded to represent functional and stable elements to the design that emerge from the water. It is through the manipulation of these seemingly stable elements that the genuine essence of ‘The Icebergs’ is revealed.

By juxtaposing them within a structure of collision and fragmentation, the construct become clear to articulate movement and a sense of warning towards the climate crisis of fragmenting ice caps and rising sea levels upon the boarders of Rotterdam. It is within this disarray that the fabric of uncanny space is woven, provoking a multitude of experiences, and evoking a profound engagement with the built environment of the city’s ‘Here and There’ approach.

We as architects take a responsibility to create experience in space, therefore what we design deserves a purpose, meaning whether that is by acting or provoking action.

- Jacob Roberts

“Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication”