A Museum of Architecture and Design, Murcia, Spain

A private foundation and the local and regional governments of Murcia, Spain, are interested in developing a major cultural facility devoted to architecture and design. The exact program for the facility is not yet determined. However, the organizers are seeking to develop a building and programs that will be an important cultural landmark. The purpose of the studio is to create a platform for the participants to imagine and define an institution. Rather than simply respond to a program developed by others, each student will undertake the analysis and make the policy decisions that will determine the nature of the structure that he or she designs. The studio will have three phases: case-study research, programming and urban planning, and architectural design. The results of the studio\’s research, design and analysis will be exhibited and published so as to have the maximum effect on the conception and realization of the new institution.