Studio Pachón-Paredes presents the architecture of José María García de Paredes in a journey that fuses architectural, artistic and musical relationships in six blocks or “thematic encounters”, offering a progressive sensorial preparation that leads the visitor through the museum emulating the sequential access to the hall of an auditorium.
The system devised by Studio Pachón-Paredes consists of a series of vertically placed slats and frames, facilitating the assembly and separation for the placement of the works, transforming the space when necessary and absorbing pillars and residual areas, balancing the exhibition space and creating a neutral nave that invites you to explore the space and discover the thought and creative process of García de Paredes.
Exhibition space at the ICO Museum by Studio Pachón-Paredes. Photograph by Luis Asín.
Project description by Studio Pachón-Paredes
Meeting spaces, exhibition design for the exhibition on José María García de Paredes at the ICO Museum
The exhibition presents García de Paredes' architecture through six thematic encounters that combine architectural, artistic and musical relationships, offering a retrospective, critical and propositional view of his work.
The exhibition project proposes a "meeting space" that integrates various formats and documents, forming a graphic atlas composed of plans, photographs, paintings, sculptures, models, letters and sketches. The project is based on essentiality, reuse, constructive sincerity and economy of means, reflecting both the architect's philosophy and the need for a modular and adaptable system for this room and for possible itinerancies.
SPATIAL SCORE: Themes and Projects
The exhibition assembly is made using a single element: pine slats. The construction detail that García de Paredes used as an exhibition support is revisited, especially in the house-studio for the painter Beulas. Proposing an exhibition system composed of horizontal 50x30mm wooden slats deployed around the perimeter along both levels of the ICO museum, providing continuity to the visitor, resolving transition spaces such as the ramp and staircase, and transforming the spatiality of the main room. An open, multipurpose and flexible exhibition system, which allows freedom in the assembly and placement of the works.
Referring to the architect's connection with music, and as if it were a "spatial score", this system serves as an exhibition support for the different "musical notes" - documents and works - that compose the "melodies" - projects - that together form the "compositions" - themes and encounters - of the exhibition.
The "spatial score" is attached to the walls by vertically placing the same slats, allowing for correct layout and assembly, as well as separation for the hanging system of the work. On the other hand, using frames made up of these slats, the upper room is spatially corrected where necessary, absorbing pillars and residual areas, geometrically balancing the exhibition space, and resulting in a "neutral" nave. The "backstage" areas, with a dark envelope, allow access to the public from the ends, like a "backstage", where the construction systems used can be directly understood, paying homage to the architect's sincerity and constructive transparency.
CENTRAL FLOATING ARTIFACT: Thought, process and Sketches
In the center of the main room there is a light and transparent exhibition element that contrasts with the perimeter. This artifact exhibits a synthesis of the architect's thought and process, showing 216 sketches along 12 meters. Composed of 4 transparent methacrylate ribs 3 meters wide, it supports 27 double-glass trays at three heights. It is modular, removable and stackable, also acting as a circulation roundabout for the exhibition route.
ENVELOPE: Exhibition meaning and sensory preparation of the visitor
The exhibition route begins on the first floor and culminates on the ground floor, guiding the visitor through different themes that reflect the evolution of García de Paredes’ projects, proposing a progressive sensory preparation. The perimeter background remains constant (black music with white slats), while the horizontal plane gradually changes in acoustic absorption and tonality, from beginning to end, from light to dark, preparing the visitor for the “final scene”. This route emulates the experience of entering an auditorium: from the bright and noisy public space, passing through the lobby, until reaching the dark and isolated final room, culminating in a sensorial, visual and acoustic experience.
