“Literally your ass is on one of the pillars of classical Greek architecture. It’s an act of defiance”

- Dennis Freedman: Radical Design Collector

Concept

The Radical Design Movement revolutionized our perception of furniture. Instead of merely functional pieces, Radicals crafted furniture that was rebellious, bizarre, expressive, and laden with emotion.

A museum dedicated to showcasing Radical Design must embody the same expressiveness while simultaneously taking a backseat to allow the exhibited works to speak for themselves. This proposal achieves precisely that by embracing the design process employed by the Radicals.

The Radical Design Museum is conceptualized as an abstraction of a cathedral, stripping away all ornamentation to simplify its form into basic, orthogonal, cubic expressions. This design highlights increasing heights and a series of repetitions, culminating in the detachment of the altar to form a final gallery.

The purpose of the Radical Design Museum is to glorify the displayed pieces, emphasizing their emotional and defiant natures.

Description

The museum is conceived by stripping the cathedral bare of any ornamentation, simplifying its form to basic, orthogonal, cubic expressions, and completely detaching the altar to form a final gallery. The effect of this space is one of pure drama.

As one arrives at the museum, they are greeted with the extension of the roof inviting them in and are first introduced to the columns and skylights that will guide them. The skylights and columns continue through the museum, marking a hallway that leads to the final gallery.

The skylights create a dynamic effect in the museum due to their orientation on the site. As the day passes, the sun will beam down through the skylights at different angles, creating new atmospheres throughout the day. Visitors are thus encouraged to revisit the museum in order to experience the different atmospheres the skylights create at different times and days.

As one progresses along the hallway, one will find three galleries within the main space, the galleries are inspired by the transepts of a cathedral and act as resting spaces from the dramatic energy of the hallway. In the galleries, windows of differing heights and orientations create a movement that directs the viewer forward while allowing for different pieces of furniture to be displayed with the proper amount of light for each piece.

Along the path of the hallway, the ceiling heights increase, generating more drama and excitement as one progresses. As the viewer exits to the courtyard, the skylights and columns that once guided them abruptly stop, marking their arrival at the final gallery. The theme of height reaches its climax at the final gallery which rests on a thick slab of concrete that further elevates it. The stairs allow the viewer equal footing with the gallery where they are invited into a space overflowing with natural light. The theme of skylights reaches its culmination in the final gallery as a single massive skylight lights the space. The windows that were dynamic and scattered in the other galleries find a resting point on the back wall. The main attraction of the museum rests on a pedestal in the center of this gallery, the pedestal acts as an altar, the skylight as a divine light, and the piece of art as a communion.