Richard Meier: Museu D'art Contemporani De Barcelona, Macba

Located in the rundown district of the Raval, the museum of contemporary art of Barcelona creates a dialogue between the quarter’s historic urban fabric and contemporary art. The labyrinthine nature of the pre-existing streets in the district is reflected in the building’s organisation, most notably in the main entrance. A pedestrian passageway runs parallel from the museum’s back garden to a newly created square in front of the museum, known as the Plaça dels Àngels, and links to a pedestrian network running throughout the old city. The gentle curve of this thoroughfare underscores the centrifugal movement of the cylindrical lobby and describes a fifth facade, connecting the geometries of the museum to an urban context characterised by skewed intersections and the domes of ancient churches. As befits an institution devoted to modern and contemporary art, the striking modernity of the museum’s architecture fuses with the accumulated history of the surroundings.