Frida Escobedo Studio designs underground MALBA expansion
Frida Escobedo Studio will expand Buenos Aires' MALBA underground beneath Plaza Perú, doubling exhibition space for a late 2029 or early 2030 opening.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Frida Escobedo Studio is designing an underground expansion for MALBA in Buenos Aires.
- The project will double the museum's exhibition space beneath Plaza Perú.
- New additions include temporary galleries, an auditorium, workshops, and a courtyard.
- The expansion is scheduled to open in late 2029 or early 2030.
Marking its 25th anniversary, the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (Malba) is preparing a major architectural transformation beneath Plaza Perú in Argentina. Led by Frida Escobedo Studio, the project will double the institution's exhibition footprint by moving significant program areas underground. This ingenious approach allows the museum to expand dramatically while preserving the public square on the surface for everyday community use.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The expansion functions as both an architectural addition and a complete reorganization of Malba. Alongside new temporary exhibition galleries, the underground level will house an auditorium, flexible programming spaces, workshops, and storage facilities. A newly designed outdoor courtyard will channel fresh air and natural daylight down into the subterranean spaces. The overarching design concept centers on urban continuity, allowing Malba to grow beneath the city without sacrificing the open public ground above.
Moving cultural institutions underground while maintaining surface-level public parks is an increasingly popular urban design strategy in densely populated cities. By retaining Plaza Perú as an open landscape, the architects ensure that community life and green spaces remain entirely uninterrupted, demonstrating how modern museums can expand without encroaching on valuable urban public real estate.
Flexibility is embedded directly into the architectural layout. For example, the auditorium can seamlessly integrate into the main visitor circuit during regular museum hours or operate independently for evening film screenings and lectures. This operational versatility extends the institution's active hours, enabling multiple programs and events to run simultaneously without disrupting standard gallery operations.
Plans to expand Malba beneath Plaza Perú originally date back to 2011, when the museum sought an extension of roughly 3,840 square meters to complement its existing 7,455-square-meter building. Buenos Aires approved the proposal the following year based on an initial scheme by Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, establishing a thirty-year window for construction to commence.
The current commission brings Frida Escobedo Studio into this ongoing history. Escobedo established her firm in Mexico City in 2006 and opened a New York office in 2022. Her recent museum projects include the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s new Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing in New York, alongside an ongoing collaboration with Moreau Kusunoki on the renovation of the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Source: designboom
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