The design is nice and clear. It is cleverly adapted to fit into the built environment. It provides good solutions for integrating the grassy areas along the Talvera and the east-west link. The entrance looks very inviting; the eastern forecourt is an attractive proposition, which allows the cedars to be preserved. The jury was impressed with the orientation: In this project, the museum opens onto the city and the Talvera and is clearly visible from this direction, while being shielded from the rest of the area. The design presents an excellent linking element between the old town and the new town. When the preliminary design is translated into an actual building, care must be taken to preserve the envisaged transparency and quality of the architecture. The functional arrangements are extremely good. The heights of some of the rooms are too low and the delivery area needs to be improved, as the difference in levels has not been taken into consideration. The lighting of some groups of rooms, or rather the shading of the exhibition areas would have to be looked at more closely. The quality and openness of the interior space is impressive. This strong contender fulfils the demands of the difficult task of making the subject of “contemporary art” more approachable for the local population.
