VARIATIONS ON A THEME
Wine Museum - Cerro San Cristobal - Santiago de Chile
Technical data:
Code: SAN
Type: museum
Client: wine association of Chile
Contract: competition stage
schedule: 10/2010
Surface: 5500 m2
Cost estimate: undisclosed
A MUSEUM THAT PAYS RESPECT TO ITS ENVIRONMENT
The wine museum of Santiago de Chile is located onto the lush hill of San Cristobel. It faces cityscapes, mountains and horizon.
Inserting a construction within such a peaceful and green environment should pay respect to the surroundings. In order to be less intrusive, the gallery spaces follow the site level. They emerge from the earth. Their roofs are slanted to echo the sloping sides of the hill. Such as “troglodytes” architecture, these building blocks are inserted by carving the hill at some locations while just laid on the existing level in some other areas. While vineyards are sculpted in the front of the museum.
Doing so contributes to the fluidity of the spaces and the continuity of the architecture ensemble from one end to another. Therefore, the main visitors are welcome within the large and airy reception area before beginning the discovery of the wine collections. Each visitor is free to begin
the visit from the lower level or the upper level. Thanks to the sloping ramps in and out of the gallery spaces, the museum is conceived as a big loop. The large concourse in between the galleries offer preferred views onto the city, the surroundings and the tower. The museum seems sitting within an existing park promenade.
In continuity with the museum spaces, shops and cafeteria are accessible from the main entrance. Due to the expected retail activities, the newly public piazza facing the city is activated. More than the museum piazza, this public space can receive performances, street art, outdoor cinema and other related activities. The Temporary Exhibition space is directly connected to the piazza. Therefore, special events could occur while the museum is closed.
The access to the tower is also from the main lobby without disturbing the museum functions. Going up to the tower, the first levels are dedicated to offices and private functions. A small auditorium is then proposed to add to the many possible activities of the museum. The façade is more opaque. This “box” receives the 1st urban balcony onto its top. This public space proposes indoor and outdoor areas to ensure enjoying the amazing view at anytime along the year.
The wine testing area is cantilevered from the main core and benefits of a special treatment to make it visible from anywhere. The façade effect seems to disintegrate itself towards the external parts of the volume. Therefore, audience as well as people down the hill can enjoy an amazing show from this area. In order to highlight more this specific space, a special lighting effect accompanies the building façade with vertical lines of light.
Such as hanging gardens, the skybar is developed along few levels to propose many ambiances indoor and outdoor. The tower is seamless and fades towards the sky. Lush gardens are expected to grow on the top part of the tower to recall the green hill.
From one end to another, the Wine’s Museum in its entirety celebrate Wine Culture along a respectful architecture ensemble. The Wine’s Museum blends itself with the surroundings to become the new landmark of the Cerro San Cristobal.