Museo Nivola

The eight artist’s cabins are arranged as a linear block, orientated on an existing route linking the museum site to the olive orchard, cumulating in a collaborative working and exhibition hall. The plan echoes a row of houses with a communal facility and park at the end. Existing routes across the site are maintained. All existing trees remain undisturbed by the new building.

The building draws from artistic, cultural, and ecclesiastical references. It is a musical stave, progressing from minor to major. It references the rhythm of churches, navigating from nave and pews to transept and altar. It is living, interactive art, changing throughout the day, invoking different feelings, moods, and emotions. A combination of private and shared space within the units provides opportunity for personal reflection and collective endeavour.

The building floats above the landscape on a timber frame that is designed to lightly touch the ground and be fully demountable. A striking roof profile echoes historic Sardinian timber roofs. Coloured glazing references the colour wheel. Sardinian fabric patterns are present throughout the façade composition. The building sits at the bottom of the hill amongst the existing buildings to minimise visual impact within the landscape, offering panoramic views towards Orani. From the town, the building becomes a new cultural landmark.