WILLIAM TI has always believed in the future of architecture as a possible Philippine brand and not just as a practice. Having organized several architecture festivals in the country, he’s not only seen as one of the best young practitioners but an influential leader in the industry.
One of his recent projects, Museo del Prado en Filipinas, has recently been selected as a finalist for the Architizer A+Awards for the Museum category. The project was commissioned by the Embassy of Spain together with the Prado Museum in Madrid in April of 2017.
He’s always been a big believer of exploring and developing ideas surrounding “Social Architecture” and this project was the perfect opportunity to apply those ideas toward reimagining a museum as an engaging, barrier-free and localized place.
The Museo del Prado consists of 60 reproduced paintings which is housed in 30 modules built at a total cost of P600,000. The deconstructed program breaks down the idea of a museum into shelter, viewing space and exhibition space. The exhibit also had to take on the form of modules so it could be transported to various locations around the city.
The modules celebrate the vaults and arches of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. Each module consists of a display space held up by a pair of bended steel arches that form the frame for a billowing taffeta sail. This harkens back to the visiting galleons that tied Manila to Spain and allows us to give the exhibit a volume that also provides shelter for the viewers and filters the sunlight.
The modules were arranged to recreate various viewing situations in a museum, such as corridors, galleries and centerpieces. By bringing the museum to the people, they could now have a daily dose of the Prado as they go to and from work. It is the enjoyment of art as a daily source of joy. What more by putting the paintings or prints outdoors, we reconnect them with nature where our senses are sharper and the images are enhanced.
Here is a museum finally open to all. The street kids running along the corridors and people who would never think of going to a museum were face-to-face with art—a great equalizer that in one moment house both the street vendor and the banker, meaning much more to the former than the latter.
Social Architecture is both accessible and connective. In order to allow for greater social cohesion, William believes one must create a more transparent society that rejects social limitations. The guiding idea is to introduce immateriality and eccentricity into the institution without abandoning its main function by creating a publicly distributed spectacle that enriches the entirety of society.
William hopes that the ideas of creating a project that would serve as a game changer would be able to have a platform to better espouse the merits of Social Architecture. The Museo del Prado en Filipinas is competing for the Architizer A+ Jury Award and the Architizer A+ Popular Choice Award with an illustrious array of museums, such as the TIRPITZ by Bjarke Ingels Group, the Institute for Contemporary Art, Virginia Commonwealh University by Steven Holl Architects, MASS MoCA Building 6: The Robert W. Wilson Building by Burner/Cott Architects and the Zeitz MOCAA by Heatherwick Studio.
The Museo del Prado en Filipinas is an architecture of the Philippines that could totally go global.
The online public chooses the Architizer A+ Popular Choice Award and public voting is open from July 10 to 20. Williams work is an A+Awards finalist—and you can help us put Philippine architecture in the world map! Vote for Museo del Prado en Filipinas in the Museum category at vote.architizer.com and share your results on Facebook or Twitter.
The Architizer A+Awards is the largest awards program focused on promoting and celebrating the year’s best architecture and products. Its mission is to nurture the appreciation of meaningful architecture in the world and champion its potential for a positive impact on everyday life. Imagine an architect’s best work in front of a global audience of 400+ million.
Winners are chosen by an illustrious jury including such industry luminaries as Denise Scott Brown, Bjarke Ingels and Tom Kundig, as well as personalities from beyond architecture like Tony Hsieh (CEO, Zappos), Yves Behar (Fuseproject), John Edelman (CEO, Design Within Reach), Cameron Sinclair (architecture for humanity) and Barry Bergdoll (MoMA).