MUMA (Monash University Museum of Art)

BACKGROUND: MUMA (Monash University Museum of Art) is a competitively commissioned redevelopment project by Kerstin Thompson Architects (KTA). Sited at Monash University Caulfield Campus, it comprises flexible curatorial spaces arranged around an internal timber 'spine' with connections to the exterior achieved through a visually striking canopy that houses the building's mechanical services. In 2011 the work received two AIA (Australian Institute of Architects) Victorian Architecture Awards (Marion Mahony Award, Public Alterations and Additions), and an IDEA (Interior Design Excellence Awards) award for Institutional Interior Design. CONTRIBUTION: The interior of the existing curved building was ordered by introducing a series of parallel lines, around which a variety of elements "reveal the workings of the museum, rather than simply create pure white minimal spaces throughout.' The dynamic art and design precinct provides opportunities for exchange between the internal program of the museum and the daily life of the campus and broader community. This draws on Thompson's ongoing practice and design research focussing on architecture as a civic endeavour, forging connections between buildings, their surroundings and the people who inhabit them. SIGNIFICANCE: The significance of MUMA is evidenced through the competitive commissioning process and its AIA and IDEA awards. The Victorian Architecture Awards are considered to be the most prestigious local awards for the design and construction industry. The work featured in the book 'The User Perspective on Twenty-First-Century Art Museums' and received extensive media coverage including articles in The Australian, SMH, Broadsheet and Australian Design Review, and critical review in Architecture Australia.