Exhibition: CAM B02 Exhibition design Proposal.

June 2023,
           
     We are proud to announce that we got invited to a competition to draw the exhibition design for a layout of the Collection of CAM B02 - Gulbenkian Modern Art Centre, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisbon.


Inspired by Buckminster Fuller's question,
“How much does your exhibition weigh?”¹
and the principle of sustainability, this proposal envisions a modular, eco-friendly exhibition system. It focuses on reducing CO2 emissions by repurposing materials from scrapyards, embracing a circular economy approach.

The "Make Do" strategy, following Anne Lacaton's approach, guides material selection, repurposing discarded elements. The resulting low-cost, adaptable structure is composed of recycled aluminum connectors, wooden adaptors, standardized aluminum profiles, and repurposed marble bases. Additional materials include reclaimed aluminum, MDF boards, laminated glass, sustainable textiles, and LED lamps.

Design for Disassembly (DfD) is a key principle, allowing easy transformation and reducing resource consumption. The modular structure offers diverse possibilities, accommodating various artworks. It's assembled and disassembled using mechanical fixings, ensuring reusability.

Thirteen exhibition structures cater to different artworks, enhancing the immersive experience. The layout accentuates key artworks, fostering dialogue and reflection. Lighting is carefully considered for digital pieces, utilizing spotlights and indirect lighting to maintain artistic intent.

Considering the transformative nature of time, the proposal supports future adaptability. DfD fosters flexibility, allowing repurposing for different needs, like a playground or stage structure.


Make Do with the existing, with people, nature, climate, the economy, in order to reinvent, to do more with less.
Making do is about using what we already have. It is about considering the existing as a valuable resource, not as unsatisfactory or constraining. Each existing situation is an opportunity consisting of elements, qualities, and capacities that can be integrated, reactivated, and reused. Each existing structure offers materials that can drastically reduce the need for new materials.<sup>2

1</sup> How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster? Direção: Norberto Lopez Amado and Carlos Carcas.
Produção: Art Commissioners in association with Aiete Ariane Films, First Run Features, New York, 2010, DVD, 80 min.


² - LACATON, Anne, “Make Do”, in .:The Materials Book, Ruby Press, Berlin 2020, page 58.


Function: Exhibition design
Client: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
Alban Wagener Architecture with Miguel Gomes
Team: Olimpia Fecchio, Ömer Akman
Design: Inês Nepomuceno Design
Images: NATA.ARCHVIZ