The bird's-eye view of the proposed Parabol Maribor Gallery is truly awesome to the eyes. Its monumental size and great silvery scaled cladding make its mammoth meandering form look like a futuristic force to be reckoned with.
But rather than challenging the surrounding topography of the Slovenian site, this project aims to pay it a compliment. The cultural hub will be built on the bank of the Drava River, surrounded in an urban park and sculpted to interact with the city in which it sits.
Great squid-like loops escape from a central meeting point, where the structure goes from outrageously abstract to relatively rational. According to the design of James Vincent and Brian de Luna, each of the great arching corridors of the Parabol Maribor Gallery will house subject-specific spaces, including an architecture museum, a children's museum, a digital arts museum and a creative industrial museum.
Scaly Serpentine Architecture
The Parabol Maribor Gallery Ties in a Diverse Public Program
Trend Themes
1. Sculptural Architecture - Opportunities for architects and designers to create bold structures that interact with the surrounding landscape and incorporate diverse public programming.
2. Integration of Nature - Opportunities for creating constructions that harmoniously blend with the natural environment and incorporate sustainable, low-impact design features.
3. Museum Curation - Opportunities for museums to specialize in subject-specific spaces, using innovative design concepts to educate and engage visitors.
Industry Implications
1. Architecture - Architects and designers can explore new, sculptural forms and integrate sustainable, low-impact materials and designs into these buildings.
2. Urban Planning - Urban planners can work to incorporate sculptures and buildings that complement and interact with the surrounding natural environment and public programming.
3. Museums - Museums can specialize in subject-specific spaces using innovative design concepts to educate and engage visitors while incorporating sculptures and buildings that complement and interact with the surrounding natural environment.