A Museum for a Bancusie Collection:
The dual image of his Art
Brancusi's Art Brancusi was part of the modern movement in the arts. His interest in the formal simplicity of art and his search for absolutes is what governs his works. "He was fascinated by the antithesis of life as potential, and as kinetic energy- the self contained perfection of the egg, which hides the mystery of all creation and the pure dynamics of the creature released from the shell… simplicity is not a goal, but one arrives at simplicity in spite of one self, as one approaches the real meaning of things." Brancusi wanted his art to be more felt than intellectually absorbed, in fact Brancusi himself said "I give you pure joy" to any body who wanted to analyze his art. Brancusi's simplicity in design brings to mind a shrine like atmosphere. A spiritual place that would be separated from the fast moving city environment. A place that people would discover, and rediscover Brancusi's work. A true place of escape. An important aspect would be the exterior image of the structure. This structure will be a monolith. A large 'box like' structure that will contrast the irregular city block. I think that an industrial, austere façade will help strengthen the contrast between the interior and exterior of the building and will further emphasize the separation. Large steel or aluminum panels, with a grid like arrangement, will play with the sun to emit a personality to the building. That is, depending on the sun the mood of the building can change. On a sunny day, the panels will reflect a lively mood and on a cloudy day, they will reflect a darker image.
The notion of ascension into the space is important. Ramps can represent the notion of ascending into a space and not stopping. Unlike stairs that have runs, the ramp has no horizontal element that will stagnate the level. To represent this idea, a long processional ramp will lead one into the entrance. After which a threshold will be encountered and the journey through the exhibition will commence. The space will be governed by a series of ramps that would lead the participant to the different levels of the museum. These ramps will be centered around a interior atrium and will have a relationship to this central light well. The promenade through the building can be shown through these plans:
Brancusi's art is indeed very special. The design has tried to respond by creating a microcosm. The separation and ascension into the space are the main elements that create this reality.