Explora – August 12th, 2008
The Parque Explora was conceived as the new symbol and referent of the transformation of the "New North", an urban piece that completes a strategic social and physical recovery process of this sector. Its design is based on a sequence of open spaces and different levels which deliver circulation in closed areas and unique scientific experiments. A new built topography of folds, incisions, contentions and balconies or walkways, that look and relate, and are seen by the city.
We made ourselves two questions when we started designs in 2005: How to make a museum of science and technology which image would not become obsolete too soon? How to make a dynamic and flexible space for children and youth, a large exhibition of amusement, recreation and culture away from the traditional academic projects? The dilemma: we did not want a rigid and academic museum that did not respond to the festive spirit of the programme, neither an amusement park with a fleeting purpose.
The movement and the circulation of people in open spaces, tensions with closed and unique areas, and the relationship of both with the urban landscape in a city of mountains and tropical weather, defined the principles of the project design. We looked for a space that fluctuates between an open place of "fair" galvanized steel, fluorescent lighting and scientists games under the shadow of future large-bearing trees; and boxes or closed areas for technology based games, places with magical interior movement and constant renovation. Furthermore we also looked for this tilting relationship between open and closed spaces where the background would be the city and landscape.
The program is solved in three layers: Two ground layers that represent the urban space, the open square and the middle level of workshop classrooms. These spaces, whose materiality is the concrete, contain the complementary supports program, as the aquarium, digital cinema, television studio and technical and administrative services. On these ground layers all elements of metal structure that defines the third level are settled: a lengthwise balcony or gateway, and the four red boxes containing the main program of the museum, which are the rooms of Physics, Life Connection , Colombia Geodiversa and Digital Territory.
Parque Explora, Museo Interactivo de Ciencia y Tecnología
Place: Medellín, Colombia
Construction start date: 26 Dic. 2005
Finishing date: 30 Mar 2008
Architectural design project director: Alejandro Echeverri
Architectural design group: Isabel Dapena, Camilo Restrepo Villa, Sergio Restrepo, Guillermo Valencia, Juan Carlos Castañeda, Maria Andrea Díaz, Diana Herrera, Edgar Mazo, Cesar Rodríguez, John Aristizabal,.
Museography director: Andrés Roldan
Museography design group : Natalia Pérez, Felipe Franco, Esteban Uribe, Juan Pablo Gaviria, Sandra Obregón, Catalina Rojas, Tomas Arango, Adriana García, Sebastián Arias, Mónica Naranjo, Antonia Posada, Isabel Restrepo, Victoria Estrada, Franco Oberti, Camilo Londoño, Manuel Osorio, Andrés Goez, Cesar Arias.
Promotor Alcaldía de Medellín Secretaria de Obras Públicas
Management: Rafael Aubad, Mauricio Valencia
Auditor: Ingeniería Estructural
Concret structure design: León Restrepo
Metal structure design: Estaco
Acoustic design: Raúl Darío Franco
Landscaping: Jardín Botánico de Medellín
Electric design: Escobar Botero.
Hydraulic design: Ricardo Salinas
Concret structure construction: Consorcio Acevedo –Acebedo
Metal structure construction: HB estructura Metálicas
Finishing construction: Arquitectura & Concreto
