The Microseum
The uncertainty of the future caused by climatic change inspired relentless research aiming to achieve a sustainable future. With decreasing respect for non-human elements in the era of the Anthropocene, I drew inspiration from Timescapes’s geologic timeline that considers multiple narratives and included microbes as the research subject after realizing its massive potential as a cleansing agent, food and material. To increase the accessibility of microbial knowledge that are not generally available to the public, a microbe exhibition gallery and a transparent structure laboratory is designed to educate the public on climate emergency and to promote the understanding and mutual respect between humans and non-human elements.
The journey through the building resembles a timeline. Visitors enter the exhibition space which consists of 4 zones – The Admiration Zone which shows microbial artwork, the Observation Zone which shows live microbial samples in the dark room, the Interaction Zone which allows the visitors to interact with microbes in our bodies, and the Information Zone which displays the research outputs from the microbiology labs. By starting with historical artistic pieces, slowly transitioning to interactive installations and finally informative microbial research draws the attention of the visitors and encourages the learning of microbes and the climate crisis. For further study and investigation, visitors are welcome to visit the microbiology labs, lecture halls and library across the bridge.
The building responds to the climate crisis and therefore passive strategies are included to lower energy usage. Materials used such as timber and rammed earth walls are sustainable and has low carbon footprint. The integration of sustainable ideologies into the design and construction phases of the project aims to resonate with the programme of the architecture and encourage a pursuit of mutual understanding between human and non-human elements.
