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LumoLab curated AUGUST 2023

Museum Garage: A masterclass in boundary-pushing Design

In Miami's Design District, an area teeming with innovative art, architecture, and design, stands the Museum Garage—a parking facility that challenges the conventional norms of what a garage should look like.

It was designed as a collaboration between six firms that has been characterized by Terence Riley of Keenan/Riley Architects as an architectural experiment and “a full on optical bucket of cold water.

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A bold architectural experiment

The intent behind this, according to Riley, was to be inspired by the surrealist parlor game known as the “exquisite corpse”.

In this game, artists collaborate on a single piece of art without seeing each other's work, creating a singular but disjointed piece of art. Each section of the garage tells its unique story, much like each artist in the game adds their unique touch to the collective artwork.

As a result, Museum Garage appears as a disjointed yet unified design, each section telling its own unique story, yet all contributing to the larger narrative.

Grabbing attention through collective creativity

Museum Garage champions the idea that in specific circumstances, boundaries in design are meant to be pushed, questioned, and reinvented.

For brands and businesses, it serves as a reminder of the potential impact of collective creativity and the power of stepping outside the conventional.

Creative control compartmentalised

Each firm virtually had free rein over their section, adding an eclectic mix of styles to the overall design.

WORKac, a New York firm, features open gaps and curved areas resembling an ant farm. In contrast, J Mayer H from Berlin showcases a facade with spaced-out volumes of red and blue stripes interlocked in a puzzle-like fashion.

Meanwhile, Miami-based Clavel Arquitectos positioned 45 metallic cars colored in gold and silver on their section, symbolizing the rebirth of urban life in Miami.

On another side, the façade by Keenan/Riley Architects takes inspiration from US traffic barriers, featuring an orange and white pattern made from stainless steel and concrete.

The Takeaways

The Museum Garage stands as an example of how unconventional efforts can result in a harmonious and impactful design.

It advocates for a shift from uniform, monolithic branding strategies to more dynamic, varied, and inclusive approaches.

In a world where branding often leans toward minimalistic simplicity, the Museum Garage is a daring divergence, reminding us that there is room for audacious creativity and the unexpected in design.

Brands can take a leaf out of this architectural playbook by embracing unconventional approaches, that enriches their brand identity.

A large building with a lot of lights on it
A colorful building with a lot of trees in front of it
A pink and white building with a sign on it
A large building with a bunch of chairs on the side of it
A building that has a lot of different designs on it
An orange and white building with windows and balconies
Photography of the garage shown on this page is by Miguel de Guzmán.
Photo of the project