“HOW WILL WE BATHE TOGETHER?”
Taking inspiration from the title of 2020 Venice Biennale, the proposal seeks to create an imaginative exhibition space where everyday life, art, and performance are merged. The design envisions a multifunctional space, where contemporary exhibitions and public baths co-exist in the historic structure of Piscina Mirabilis. The two programs bridge the past and present, linking the structure back to its water story with new meaning. The corporeal experience becomes essential to the site as the play of seeing and being seen is integrated into the circulation. A visual connection is curated, while a physical separation is maintained.
The proposal situates Piscina Mirabile within its local context, by linking the museum to the city’s waterfront through a publicly accessible outdoor space and sculpture garden. The museum terrace is transformed into a public garden and amphitheater that offer views to the bay as well as gathering and performance opportunities. By creating a plaza at the entrance of the building, the design releases the tight urban fabric into a generous threshold to the museum. Upon entering the museum, visitors may choose to take the Exhibition or the Bath route. The Exhibition sequence begins at the spiral staircase which brings visitors to the bottom level. On the way down, they can observe the original entrance steps, now preserved as artifact. At the bottom level, the visitors traverse the central water garden and galleries, and are led to the corten walkways. These multi-level paths allow visitors to experience the vertical volume of the historic structure while exploring artworks from different vantage points. The route terminates at the museum bookstore, connecting to the terrace garden, restaurant and reception areas.
The Bath route brings bathers along the northern side of the building, through a transitional changing room area connecting to a private balcony overlooking the exhibition space. Using the original southern steps, bathers arrive at a courtyard surrounded by three enclosed bathing rooms. As the ambient light from the semi-transparent bathing rooms casts into the adjacent spaces, the movement of ambiguous bathing figures becomes a part of the exhibition viewing experience.
“How will we bathe together?” builds on the notion of experiencing art in a fully embodied and sensorial way. The thoughtful placement of the art collection both indoors and outdoors, enhances the complexity and richness of the museum experience and choreographs the visitors movement through the spaces. The proposal deepens the experience of art by bringing attention to the human body and its presence within the surrounding landscape.
Team work with: Sofia Nikolaidou
