Not all architects get the opportunity to design a museum. Between budget, scale and factors external to the field of architecture, designing a museum–and actually getting it built– may mark the pinnacle of one’s professional trajectory.
These public buildings provide an invaluable service to the communities in which they are located; from education to commemoration and (occasionally) the provision of public space, museums are “shining lights” in which architecture plays a fundamental role.
To celebrate International Museum Day, we have compiled some of the most relevant and notable museum projects published on ArchDaily over the past year.
Site Museum of Paracas Culture / Barclay & Crousse
Imagem cortesia de Barclay & Crousse
Iberian Museum / J.L. López de Lemus, Harald Schönegger, Ignacio Laguillo & Luis Ybarra
© Fernando Alda
Moreira Salles Institute / Andrade Morettin Arquitetos
© Nelson Kon
Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa / Heatherwick Studio
© Iwan Baan
Damião de Góis Museum and the Victims of the Inquisition / spaceworkers
© Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
Kunsthalle Mannheim Building / gmp Architekten
© Hans-Georg Esch
ICA Miami Museum / Aranguren&Gallegos Arquitectos
© Iwan Baan
Chongqing Tiandi Art Museum / Shenzhen Huahui Design
© Zhi Xia
Son Yang Won Memorial Museum / Lee Eunseok + KOMA
© Joonhwan Yoon
The Palestinian Museum / heneghan peng architects
© Iwan Baan
Mercedes-Benz Museum / UNStudio
© Eva Bloem
Lillehammer Art Museum and Lillehammer Cinema Expansion / Snøhetta
© Mark Syke
Fort Worth Museum of Science and History / LEGORRETA
© Lourdes Legorreta
Xie Zilong Photography Museum / Regional Studio
© Arch-Speaker – Li Yao
Zhujiadian Brick Kiln Museum / Land-Based Rationalism D-R-C
© Guangyuan Zhang