Named after the Oaxacan born artist Rufino Tamayo (-) and with the symbolic shape of the cross, the museum&#;s shape derives from the client’s preliminary studies that defined the optimal functionality. BIG&#;s proposal further enhances it by taking advantage of the best views from above, making the best of the steep terrain and shading the more social program below and creating exterior and interior spaces that overlap for optimal climatic performance.

Toward the top, the towers erode in a similar way by creating a landscape of terraces for the people living and working there. The resulting complex provides a new park with a more than threefold increase in public green space, and an alpine architectural silhouette on the city’s skyline. In a synergy of public and private interest, by offering the space to the public where it is the most in need, we earn the freedom to redistribute the lost density above.

The development consists of two towers rising m to the north and m to the south, linked together at the feet by a m podium housing the main lobbies, a conference center, cafeteria, and exhibition space. The volume and height of the HQ was predetermined by the urban masterplan, leaving BIG with façade design. BIG envisioned an undulating façade &#; like the structure of a palm leaf or the folded screen of a lamp.

By using a clover structure in organizing the residential program each patient’s room is oriented toward its own part of the landscape &#; two sets of rooms facing the lake, and one set of rooms facing the surrounding hills. That way the intimate living program has been folded into the landscape being on a level with the lake. Between the functions emerges a new collective space that is embraced by offices and bed units and populated by small patios.

The food labs and offices are designed to offer maximum flexibility, with open classrooms, laboratories, and kitchens that can be rearranged for different purposes due to the generous height and width of the spaces. All kitchens and laboratories feature industrial materials for hygiene and maintenance, while public programs use natural materials such as wood and stone to create a welcoming atmosphere.