MUSEUM OF LATIN AMERICAN IMMIGRANTS
To commemorate & to resist. A bold design that symbolizes struggle and the sea.
Recognized as one of the first horizontal museums with a distinctive twisting formal language—later echoed in projects that followed in world renown offices—pioneered the framing of migration as a force of nature, drawing on the hurricane-shaped reality of the location as a powerful and contextually grounded metaphor.
Nominated for the World Building of the Year 2011 Award on the World Architecture Festival WAF in Barcelona
Awarded by the WALLPAPER Magazine in the Directory 2010 - selected one of the best architectural thesis projects in the World
Exhibited in the La Biennale di Venezia – 13th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice,Italy in 2012 and Polish National Opera in 2010
Published in :
https://www.evolo.us/miami-immigrants-museums-bold-design-symbolizes-struggle-and-the-sea-maciej-zawadzki/
https://www.archdaily.com/106439/miami-pier-museum-of-latin-american-immigrants-maciej-zawadzki
https://archello.com/project/miami-pier-museum-of-latin-american-immigrants
https://architizer.com/projects/museum-of-latin-american-immigrants/
https://www.e-architect.com/miami/miami-pier-museum-of-latin-american-immigrants
Summary
The design of the museum in Miami, USA is devoted to the tragic and inspirational history of immigrants from Latin countries who are now the backbone of the society and economy of Florida.The structure at the same time acts as a shelter during hurricanes that appear frequently in this location and has a turbulent and intriguing character. Just as migration.
Project Description
Created as an innovative linear museum to symbolize the turbulent trials of immigration and the furies of the sea that brought the immigrants to Florida, the Miami Pier Museum of Latin American Immigrants building is symbolic and artful in its reflection of the struggles of Miami’s immigrants.
The museum is thoughtful to the immigrants it is honoring in all aspects of its design. The exterior’s twists symbolize the complicated emotions involved with leaving a motherland and coming to a land of opportunity. Simultaneously, the building’s interior features twisting elevations, reminding visitors of the effort needed and hills that are climbed in the immigration process.
The building also honors and mimics the sea that brought immigrants from Latin America and the extreme weather that affects it, with Zawadzki naming hurricanes as an inspiration for the museum’s façade form. The building itself resembles a giant wave, and its positioning on a pier over the ocean, off a beach front enhances this likeness. Interestingly, the building has been designed to be resistant to the very force it resembles: construction materials that are resistant to high winds and water will be used, and the aerodynamic twisted design itself seeks to protect the museum and its content from South Florida’s extreme weather.
Meant to be a space of somber remembrance of past struggles rather than a celebration of new opportunity, the building features such rooms as a “contemplation terrace,” where visitors can look out onto the sea in reflection.
Personal Note
To strengthen this narrative — and to truly feel what migrants experienced on the vast open waters — Maciej Zawadzki personally crossed the Atlantic Ocean, working as a skipper and driver on a catamaran while simultaneously continuing the development of this very project. During the voyage he confronted unusual meteorological phenomena, including several tropical storms with powerful winds and towering waves. This lived experience profoundly shaped the conceptual foundation of the Miami museum, allowing him to translate the raw forces of nature into an architectural language of migration, resilience, and memory — a project that has been continuously evolving ever since.
MUSEUM OF LATIN AMERICAN IMMIGRANTS
To commemorate & to resist. A bold design that symbolizes struggle and the sea.
Nominated for the Building of the Year 2011 Award on the World Architecture Festival WAF in Barcelona
Exhibited in the La Biennale di Venezia – 13th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice,Italy in 2012 and Polish National Opera in 2010
Summary
The design of the museum in Miami, USA is devoted to the tragic and inspirational history of immigrants from Latin countries who are now the backbone of the society and economy of Florida.The structure at the same time acts as a shelter during hurricanes that appear frequently in this location and has a turbulent and intriguing character. Just as migration.
Project Description
Created as an innovative linear museum to symbolize the turbulent trials of immigration and the furies of the sea that brought the immigrants to Florida, the Miami Pier Museum of Latin American Immigrants building is symbolic and artful in its reflection of the struggles of Miami’s immigrants.
The museum is thoughtful to the immigrants it is honoring in all aspects of its design. The exterior’s twists symbolize the complicated emotions involved with leaving a motherland and coming to a land of opportunity. Simultaneously, the building’s interior features twisting elevations, reminding visitors of the effort needed and hills that are climbed in the immigration process.
The building also honors and mimics the sea that brought immigrants from Latin America and the extreme weather that affects it, with Zawadzki naming hurricanes as an inspiration for the museum’s façade form. The building itself resembles a giant wave, and its positioning on a pier over the ocean, off a beach front enhances this likeness. Interestingly, the building has been designed to be resistant to the very force it resembles: construction materials that are resistant to high winds and water will be used, and the aerodynamic twisted design itself seeks to protect the museum and its content from South Florida’s extreme weather.
Meant to be a space of somber remembrance of past struggles rather than a celebration of new opportunity, the building features such rooms as a “contemplation terrace,” where visitors can look out onto the sea in reflection. No information is available on when the museum will actually be built.
Location: Miami,Florida USA
Type: Concept
Architectural concept & design: MJZ
Client: City of Miami, USA
Date : 2009
Building Program: Museum, Art Storage, Library, Shop, Restaurant
Publications: eVolo 04: Re-imagining the Contemporary Museum, Exhibition & Performance Space
Location: Miami,Florida USA
Type: Concept
Architectural concept & design: MJZ
Client: City of Miami, USA
Date : 2009-2011
Building Program: Museum, Art Storage, Library, Shop, Restaurant
Printed Publications: eVolo 04: Re-imagining the Contemporary Museum, Exhibition & Performance Space
MUSEUM OF LATIN AMERICAN IMMIGRANTS
To commemorate & to resist. A bold design that symbolizes struggle and the sea.
Nominated for the Building of the Year 2011 Award on the World Architecture Festival WAF in Barcelona
Exhibited in the La Biennale di Venezia – 13th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice,Italy in 2012 and Polish National Opera in 2010
Summary
The design of the museum in Miami, USA is devoted to the tragic and inspirational history of immigrants from Latin countries who are now the backbone of the society and economy of Florida.The structure at the same time acts as a shelter during hurricanes that appear frequently in this location and has a turbulent and intriguing character. Just as migration.
Project Description
Created as an innovative linear museum to symbolize the turbulent trials of immigration and the furies of the sea that brought the immigrants to Florida, the Miami Pier Museum of Latin American Immigrants building is symbolic and artful in its reflection of the struggles of Miami’s immigrants.
The museum is thoughtful to the immigrants it is honoring in all aspects of its design. The exterior’s twists symbolize the complicated emotions involved with leaving a motherland and coming to a land of opportunity. Simultaneously, the building’s interior features twisting elevations, reminding visitors of the effort needed and hills that are climbed in the immigration process.
The building also honors and mimics the sea that brought immigrants from Latin America and the extreme weather that affects it, with Zawadzki naming hurricanes as an inspiration for the museum’s façade form. The building itself resembles a giant wave, and its positioning on a pier over the ocean, off a beach front enhances this likeness. Interestingly, the building has been designed to be resistant to the very force it resembles: construction materials that are resistant to high winds and water will be used, and the aerodynamic twisted design itself seeks to protect the museum and its content from South Florida’s extreme weather.
Meant to be a space of somber remembrance of past struggles rather than a celebration of new opportunity, the building features such rooms as a “contemplation terrace,” where visitors can look out onto the sea in reflection. No information is available on when the museum will actually be built.
Location: Miami,Florida USA
Type: Concept
Architectural concept & design: MJZ
Client: City of Miami, USA
Date : 2009
Building Program: Museum, Art Storage, Library, Shop, Restaurant
Publications: eVolo 04: Re-imagining the Contemporary Museum, Exhibition & Performance Space
