photo: Delavegacanolasso
The museum is built to raise awareness about the correct use of plastic and will be 100 per cent recycled by the end of the 10 day exhibition
DelaVegaCanolasso, a Spanish design company, created a museum in Madrid made entirely of recycled plastic. The project’s goal is to get people thinking about plastics and how important it is to use them appropriately.
The Plastic Museum was completely prefabricated in plastic for two weeks and only took two days to assemble. To finish its cycle, it will be 100 per cent recycled at the end of the 10 days of the exhibition.
Inside, essential tools for health care, communication, construction, food, and sustainable mobility are exhibited to make visitors aware of everything that plastics provide.
Located in the Square contiguous to the Reina Sofia National Museum, the design is a simple volume, white and translucent, easily legible but broken by the methacrylate ribs that reflect the light interior, letting guests guess the world inside and inviting the pedestrians in.
The museum’s structural system is comprised of seven structural ribs constructed of 20mm transparent methacrylate “U” shape beams and pillars. White polythene was chosen as the material for the facade. It’s a thick substance that makes the facade self-supporting, changes look throughout the day, and functions as a lamp at night.
Because of its lightness and thermal insulation, the roof is made of white cellular polycarbonate. Numeric control was used to cut and number each component so that it could be built in an IKEA-like way.