The silhouettes of the Mimesis Museum by Álvaro Siza + Carlos Castanheira are defined by the at times uncomfortable collision of orthogonal and rounded forms.

Located in a growth area of Paju Book City, South Korea, the museum has been designed for a specific contemporary art collection. The proposed program is distributed across a basement, a mezzanine, and two floors.

The basement contains an archive and technical equipment. The reception, temporary exhibition space and cafeteria are located at ground level. The mezzanine holds the administration and a museum shop. There is another exhibition space on the top floor. The building’s configuration is defined by curved surfaces of white concrete which envelop a yard, and which open at one end of the building. The exhibition areas are lit via the largest surface indirectly from above by natural and artificial means.