Museo de los San Fermines
Conceptual Extension of “Encierro”
The proposed Museo de los Sanfermines in Pamplona attempts to resolve not only the design of an evocative cultural institution, but also problems of urbanism, landscape, and the historical preservation of its site. Our proposal is structured around the physical and conceptual extension of the "Encierro" (the Running of the Bulls), which is the emblematic event of the Festival of San Fermin. The proposal consists of two significant places that are formally and functionally complementary, connected by a new urban passage.
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Client: The City of Pamplona
Location: Pamplona, Spain
Year: 2001
Status: Unbuilt
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Finalist | El Museo de los San Fermines Competition | 2001
Site & Structure
The first component is an emblematic building elevated above the ground of the park, containing the program of an urban museum. Through the use of virtual media, this museum recreates the experience of the festival throughout the remainder of the year, when the events are not actually taking place. The second component is a void of similar size, excavated from the ground of the ancient city along its fortified walls. This portion of the project would house additional civic programs related to Pamplona's cultural institutions.
A Physical Link Northward
Beginning with this excavated void, the proposal extends the route of the Encierro across the River Arga and the Parque Fluvial to provide a strong symbolic and physical link northward to the new neighborhood of Rochapea, which has suffered as a result of being isolated from Pamplona's historic center. The new freestanding building simultaneously amplifies and respects the integrity of the existing park, adding program and activity with minimal transformation.