The extension proposed by Sebastián Arquitectos connects, as if it were Goya's diagonal spears, all the levels of the old complex with the new contemporary piece thanks to a new and unique space that runs through the entire complex, ending in a finish that appears over the horizon of the historic center in search of a visual connection with the Basilica of Pilar.
The new museum establishes a material dialogue with the Historic Center and with the old stone building, giving way to new technologies through a fold that generates a second digital façade, providing the building with a canvas on which to display information and create a 21st century museum without forgetting the weight of tradition.
Rendering. Extension and renovation of the Goya Museum by Sebastián Arquitectos.
Project description by Sebastián Arquitectos
Historically, the most notable buildings in the city of Zaragoza have opened their doors to the Plaza del Pilar, La Seo, or the old Roman forum. The many palaces that flourished in the flourishing Zaragoza Renaissance were built on the site of the intricate houses of the old town. The Goya Museum extension project must bring together both natures, the essence of the old Casa Aguilar together with the presence of the new museum complex towards the quintessential public space of the city, the Plaza del Pilar.
The civil architecture of a city is defined by its triad of urban, functional and symbolic values, and the future extension of the Goya Museum represents an opportunity to redefine and insist on the aspects related to all three and that must lead to it becoming a 21st century museum, and a reference that transcends local borders.
The project strategy must therefore address the three issues raised: On the one hand, the encounter with the city, resolved through a building that is shaped like a large door thanks to an intervention of folding the urban curtain, which allows it the uniqueness required by the character of a building intended for a museum but integrates in an educated manner into the urban fabric.
Secondly, a necessary improvement in the functionality of the new museum, not only with the incorporation of new uses, but also with the construction of a new space, the Goya Passage, which will resolve all the circulations between the different rooms and levels, also allowing the segregation of uses according to time or program circumstances.
And finally, as regards symbolic values, it must be shaped as the image of a contemporary museum, where new technologies dialogue with the value of local tradition and the spirit of the genius of Fuendetodos, but with the effectiveness of a large sign that announces and attracts visitors to the busiest area of Zaragoza, the Plaza del Pilar.
Access fold
The new access façade is configured from a fold as an urban gesture, which allows the construction of a separate access area without distorting the continuous curtain of the neighbouring buildings, to whose heights our building adapts. This fold that welcomes the visitor allows, in turn, to orient the user's views towards the Basilica del Pilar and to form a large interactive sign that acts as an attraction.
Uses and operation
Circulations: the Goya passage
One of the objectives of the project is to improve the current circulation system of the building, whose complexity derives from the different heights and communication elements. The extension represents an opportunity to provide a continuous solution that improves the user experience, bringing together in a single space, the Goya Passage, the access to all levels and uses of the new complex. The space is proposed as a new room, a place that expands the immersive experience through projections on its wall.
Façade
The image of the new museum establishes a double dialogue. Firstly, a material dialogue with the Old Town and the old building, in order to achieve the unified image of a building that is visually interrupted in the urban fabric. Secondly, a dialogue of times between tradition and new technologies, to create a 21st century museum with the strong character of tradition, through two facades that overlap thanks to the fold.
The tradition of engraving and stone
The tradition of engraving is manifested in a large-format stone facade rooted in the image of Zaragoza, whose roughness and character thanks to the CNC cutting and beveling will bring to the stone each of the lines that Goya engraved on the copper, its contrasts and its depth.
A digital poster for the city
The second facade represents the 21st century, a large screen that can be transformed into a poster made of glass and transparent interactive LED curtains. This is the facade of the stairs area, visible from the Plaza del Pilar, and it must be an attraction for the museum. Interactive LED curtains would provide the building with a canvas on which to display a wide variety of information, relating to everything that happens inside both day and night, extending the museum's hours and presence in the city.
