A museum houses a collection of art works or objects of a scientific, artistic, cultural or historical nature that are shown to the general public. The storage of valuable objects requires that a museum’s structure, exterior cladding and insulation meet stringent standards and this poses numerous challenges in specifying materials.
Displaying a collection, for example, requires ample exhibition space as well as diffuse lighting conditions in order to optimally display objects and protect them from UV damage. Take a look at Okasolar GLA143, an insulated glass that contains fixed louvers in order to optically control light and heat transmission. Cabot Nanogel PLA110 is another interesting material. Made of irregularly shaped translucent particles, Nanogel is primarily used in natural lighting applications where visible light is required to pass through a daylighting unit that must also maintain excellent thermal insulation.
We are additionally guest featuring the glass lens that makes up the translucent façades of Steven Holl’s Nelson Atkins Museum, as well as Ductal ®, the fibrous cement used to create the lace-like, ethereal façade of Rudy Ricciotti’s recently opened Museum of Mediterranean Culture (MuCEM) in Marseille. Also be sure to take a look at the brushed aluminium panels that created the beautifully woven façade of Herzog & de Meuron’s Messe Basel exhibition hall.
The above materials and more will be featured this autumn at Materia’s Lesiure and Hospitality exhibition at the Materia Inspiration Centre in Amsterdam.