reference

Museu Interactivo do Megalitismo, Mora | Portugal

The interactive megalithic museum, which has been open since September 2016, is located in the heart of the municipality of Mora in Portugal and is nationally unique. This region is known for its archaeological finds and therefore is a particularly appropriate location for the museum.
An old unused railway station and an adjacent warehouse were integrated into the museum building to efficiently reuse existing buildings. As this still did not provide the space required, the museum was extended by two new buildings, a café and a large space for the main exhibition.

facts

Project Museum’s Main Exhibition Hall
Place Mora, Portugal
Year of construction 2016
Architect P-06 Atelier Site Specific Arquitectura
DesignDirector Nuno Gusmão, Pedro Anjos
Client Municipality of Mora

Concept

The architects opted for a quite unique design to showcase the exhibition to best advantage: binderholz 3 layer solid spruce wood panels were intended to uniquely showcase the space and the archaeological treasures contained in it - and has undoubtedly succeeded in doing so. The 3,300 m² solid wood panels were artistically installed on top of one other, at the same time acting as effective room dividers. The rest of the space has been retained in minimalist anthracite, further accentuating the pleasing natural look of the wood. The partially curved panels create suitable presentation areas for the exhibits, with the linear panels further highlighting the clear structure and clearly accentuating the aisles for visitors.

As the solid wood panels are particularly stable and durable, they have been positioned as steps in some areas so act as stairs. Visitors can therefore even walk on the panels up to a certain point and view the entire exhibition from above, from where the individual areas, which have been three-dimensionally labelled, can be identified even more clearly. The labels were also made of 3 layer panels to create a harmonious overall interior design.

The museum's mission lies in developing and communicating the megalithic heritage of the community and the historical and cultural memories of the inhabitants of Mora. In doing so, the museum is making a social, cultural and economic contribution to the region.