Floating pavilion tests the idea of an immersive art museum
The Dutch city of Almere was built on land reclaimed from a shallow sea bay in the Netherlands. This town was only founded in 1976, but since then the population has grown to 220,000. In order to attract visitors, government officials agreed that Almere needed a museum. This floating art pavilion serves as a test to develop ideas and has the potential for a full museum in the future.
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The museum-to-be is called M. by Studio Ossidiana. M. was created as a floating pavilion on the grounds of Floriade Expo 2022.
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Alessandra Covini and Giovanni Belloti, the founders of Studio Ossidiana, created a plan that “appeals to all the senses and refers to Almere’s tradition of pioneering and experimenting,” the designers say.
Further, the resulting pavilion is its own work of art. It even flows alongside the region’s extensive collections of land art, which have become part of the museum’s inaugural collection.
Moreover, M. was inspired by the sea that the province of Flevoland in the Netherlands replaced and by the Weerwater Lake where the pavilion floats. The design then includes three circles: The Port, The Stage, and The Observatory. The Port is a promenade in the shape of a ring on the water that visitors can walk on or sit on for outdoor programming. The ring is made from terrazzo using shells, mussels, clay and charcoal found in local soil.