Mexic-Arte

In 2011, fr·ee received the commission to design a new building for the Mexican and Mexican-American Fine Art Museum of Texas, which houses a large collection of traditional and contemporary Mexican, Latino and Latin-American art. The building expresses the nature of the institution and its mission while activating its unique location in the heart of Austin as a cultural destination. Its iconographic form is influenced by elements of circularity found in Mexican culture, such as the Aztec calendar. The resultant shape establishes a distinct institutional identity while ensuring the programmatic efficiency of the floor plans. A dynamic perforated façade of varying sizes provides an optimal lighting environment for exhibitions. The skin of the museum is equipped with a LED light system that can be used to project images and installations.