Omuli Museum
of the Horse

The winning proposal highlights a quote by Luis Barragan, “A garden must combine the poetic and the mysterious with a feeling of serenity and joy.” The corresponding design consists of a simple horseshoe-shaped addition that creates an outdoor room to mediate between the existing school structure and the new building. According to the jury, “The proposal creates a beautiful precinct with appropriate deferential qualities to the landmark building. The spatial sequence here is particularly successful, as the new structure is revealed after experiencing the historic one. The incorporation and celebration of the exterior spaces is commendable. The new low-rise construction is respectful of the original building.” There were also criticisms of the proposal’s lack of focus on infrastructure for the site’s horses, and of the size and scope – with its expansive glazed walls – that may be too ambitious for the intended project.  

The ambition of this proposal is to create a museum that equally celebrates the exhibitions and landscape. It is defined by three linear sunken forms housing the artists’ workshop and museum. The layout of this addition simultaneously creates a semi-enclosed courtyard that follows the dimensions of the existing building. According to the jury, “The strategy of the below-grade addition that forms a courtyard deftly celebrates the school structure yet integrates it into a whole site strategy. This project successfully addresses the challenges of public-private circulation and separation in a way that is surprising and spatially rich. The language of the addition, the proportion of rooms, simplicity of form, and integration with landscape through green roofs is particularly sophisticated.” The presentation was also praised for its clear linework and restrained color palette, which reinforce the project’s key ideas. The jury notes that the proposal could consider stronger visual or architectural linkages between the interiors of the existing building and those of the new.

This project of timber, corrugated sheet metal, and polycarbonate panels was a clear favorite among the jurors for its respectful integration into the setting and its equine focus. It is defined by a linear addition with a separate events space and stables topped by a single roof. The existing Omuli School building is opened up to natural daylight with a new translucent roof. The jury writes, “Deferring to the historic building's axial siting, this proposal steps aside and offers a flanking yet complimenting and delicate wing, beautifully rendered. The integration and strong inclusion of the horse stables and outdoor spaces is appealing and clearly distinguishes this as a museum about horses! The opportunity for interaction and observation of live horses seems absolutely spot-on. The simple form of the new structures is reminiscent of the type of working agricultural buildings that would be associated with horses of the area.”