There's a museum dedicated to Mayan history and culture currently in the works, and the architects behind it have decided to do it big—literally. Swiss architecture firm Harry Gugger Studio and Boston studio over,under just revealed their plans for the Museo Maya de América, Central America's largest museum of Mayan history and arts, to be built in Guatemala City. The Museo Maya de América will showcase a huge collection of artifacts and art, but construction of the building itself will definitely be no small feat.
"At first glance, the building appears to be a contemporary expression of Maya architectural elements," Harry Gugger explains. "It forms a monolithic box perched atop blocks of stone, as if floating above the ground." The stone walls, however, will be cut with staggered openings, which will allow for light to enter the museum's 60,000 square meters of floor space.
The whole design is genius because it takes contemporary aesthetics and seamlessly meshes it with the architecture of ancient Mayan temples. The structure is also designed to center around a spacious courtyard, reminiscent of a cenote, a natural sinkhole often used by Mayans for sacrificial rituals.
Construction will begin sometime in 2015, with plans to open in 2017. Check out images of the stunning museum to be constructed.
[via Dezeen]
