Museo Soumaya in Polanco, Mexico City, designed by FREE Fernando Romero Enterprise, opened to the public on March 29, 2011 after four years of development. The Museum is located on a former industrial zone dating from the 1940’s which today presents a very high commercial potential. It plays a key role in the reconversion of the area: as a preeminent cultural program, it acts as an initiator in the transformation of the urban perception.
From the outside, the building is an organic and asymmetrical shape that is perceived differently by each visitor, while reflecting the diversity of the art collection on the inside. The work to be exposed contains amongst others the second biggest collection of Rodin sculptures in the world,
several authors of medieval and renaissance art, as well as impressionist painters.
The shell of the building is constructed with 28 steel curved columns of different diameters, each with its own geometry and shape, offering the visitor a soft non-linear circulation all through the building. Located at each floor level, seven ring beams provide a system that braces the structure and guarantees its stability. The building and its contents provide an incredible opportunity for anyone visiting the area to inspire their day with the magic of art and architecture.