The Museum of Tomorrow (Portuguese: Museu do Amanhã) is a science museum in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was designed by Spanish neo-futuristic architect Santiago Calatrava. The project was very challenging due to its complexity. As every curve is unique and not repeated, the engineers had to prepare several models and 3D simulations in order to ensure a perfect fit and a finish which is a true work of art. The greatest challenge was working with different concrete forms. On a traditional project, the same concrete form can be used 8 to 10 times. However, in the Museum of Tomorrow, each one was only used once because none of the angles were repeated. In addition, the museum was designed from the back to the front, with the piping installations, ducts, and water supply/sewage fitted directly into the concrete structure.
Museum of Tomorrow was a complex project to construct, its every curve is unique and not repeated
The building – whose organic shapes were inspired by the bromeliads of the Botanic Garden of the city – occupies an area of 15 thousand square meters, surrounded by reflecting pools, gardens, a bike lane, and a leisure area, all adding up to 34.6 thousand square meters of the Píer Mauá. “The idea is that the building feels ethereal, almost floating on the sea, like a ship, a bird, or a plant. Because of the changing nature of the exhibits, we have introduced an archetypal structure inside the building,” said Santiago Calatrava. ”This simplicity allows for the functional versatility of the Museum, able to accommodate conferences or act as a research space,”.
”Because of the changing nature of the exhibits, we have introduced an archetypal structure inside the building”
The cantilevering roof with its large mobile wings and the facade structure expand almost the full length of the pier emphasizing the extension into the Guanabara Bay while minimizing the building’s width. A reflection pool surrounding the building on the outside—used to filter water that is being pumped from the bay and released back in from the end of the pier— gives visitors the impression that the Museum is floating.
A reflection pool surrounding the building on the outside gives visitors the impression that the Museum is floating
