Soumaya Museum / Fr·ee

Architect: FR-EE / Fernando Romero Enterprise
Area: 17,000 m²
Year: 2011
Photographs: Rafael Gamo, Adam Weisman, Raul Soria
Manufacturers: Danpal, Agr, Alta, Aluvisa, ArqT, Bostik, CYVSA, Dimeyco, Fine Floors, Hankö, Industrias Ideal, Kone, Lighteam, Panel Rey, Soprema, Swecomex, Tecnomuro, USG, Ypasa
Contractor: Carso Infraestructura y Construcción
Structural Engineer: HVAC Colinas de Buen
Interior Architect: FR-EE + MYT
Architects In Charge: Fernando Romero, Mauricio Ceballos
City: Mexico City
Country: Mexico

The Soumaya Museum in Mexico City, designed by FR-EE, is a significant cultural institution that houses nearly 70,000 art pieces, including the world’s second-largest collection of Auguste Rodin sculptures. Completed in 2011, the museum’s 150-foot-tall rhomboid structure is supported by curved steel columns and clad in 16,000 mirrored steel hexagons, inspired by the colonial ceramic facades in the city. The design creates a dynamic visual effect. The museum’s six levels feature exhibition spaces and cultural amenities such as an auditorium, library, and restaurant, all aimed at making art publicly accessible.

Located within the Plaza Carso district, the building reaches 150 feet in height and features a rotated rhomboid shape. The structure is supported by 28 curved steel columns of varying dimensions, providing both stability and visual fluidity.

The exterior is composed of 16,000 hexagonal mirrored-steel tiles, which reference traditional ceramic-tiled facades from the city’s colonial period. These reflective elements allow the museum’s appearance to shift depending on lighting, weather conditions, and the angle from which it is viewed.

The building’s innovative 7-ring structural system stabilizes the form and allows for cantilevers on multiple sides, creating bold overhangs while enabling a continuous six-level promenade inside. This interconnected space accommodates exhibition galleries, presentation areas, and communal gathering spots, encouraging interaction and exploration.

The top level contains a column-free exhibition hall bathed in natural light, ideal for showcasing art. Beyond the galleries, the museum includes a 350-seat public auditorium, a library, a restaurant, a gift shop, and office spaces, seamlessly integrating functional amenities with cultural programming.