Miami Pier Museum of Latin American Immigrants by MJZ

The building situated directly on the coastline of the South Beach in Miami FL,USA on the axis of one of the main streets in the city would  be a horizontal monument to all the immigrants who arrived on these shores in the past  and a symbol emphasizing the dynamic  multicultural image of this city nowadays.

View from the sea

• Architect: Maciej Zawadzki
• Location: Miami, Florida

View from the beach

The form

The shape of the proposed museum comes from the analysis of the connotations between  two phenomenons.

The external form of  the object symbolizes the stages and emotions associated with the migration of Latin American immigrants and would emphasize their dramatic fate. The divisions on the elevation and the twisting of  the entire form symbolizes the enormous effort and the difficulties that various groups of people had to overcome. Irregular aggressive shapes would be visible already from a  distance as a symbol of their  tragic  history.

Another  factor that played an important role in the formation of the building  was the unique relationship with its coastal environment. One of  the main inspiration s for the external expression of the object  were the  hurricanes  that appear in cycles in this location. To emphasize this in the form, the  elevation would be stretched on the construction of the object in the image of a large sea wave. This would give a dynamic character of the shape of the building  and at the same time emphasize its importance in the area.

The Terrace View

The Interior spatial design

The functional arrangement of the interior of the building has been designed in the way to bring the experience and feelings that accompanied the Latin American immigrants during their dramatic journey. Visitors would get to know  their history not only through displays and showcases, but mainly by the feeling of the space.

The exhibition s devoted to them would be redistributed over large ascending areas  covered with a twisting roof. These spaces would evoke the idea of endlessness, emptiness and the nature of the sea , which accompanied immigrants during the entire crossing.

The exhibition  hall would be devided by a view and contemplation  terrace wich would  point out to the sea in the direction from wich the immigrants came from.
To make the connection with the environment stronger a raised  outdoor  terrace would be created at the pier level.

The external auditorium

Structure
Concerning the fact that the museum would be an object wich would be carrying out its activities throughout the whole year, the construction and installations in the building would have been adapted to abnormal changing climatic conditions.

The building was designed in a way to minimize possible major  forces of the winds. For this purpose, the most appropriate  facade materials were chosen, the  building structure was formed aerodynamically and in a resistant way to high wind and water loads.
This diversified form was constructed on the basis of a module that allows the unification of design components.

The exhibition hall

Physcial model 1

Physical model 2

Miami Pier Museum of Latin American Immigrants

The Site - Miami Beach, Florida

Main focus of the design - commemoration of the immigrants

Main focus of the design-resistance to hurricane loads

The ouctome - a morphogenetic design

The outcome - antropomorphisation of the design

The outcome - antropomorphisation of the design

The outcome - antropomorphisation of the design

Studies on the form - to express and to resist

Resistance to hurricane loads - mesh of steel ribs; etfe cushions

Analysis of the design - solids curvature; struct.modularity

Useful weather conditions - cooling with sea breezes and water

South elevation and sections - ETFE cushions as facade elements

Plans of the building - ground floor; first floor

Plans of the building - second floor; third floor

Tags: Florida, Miami

Category: Museum

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