National Museum Project
The participatory process carried out in the year 2003 lasted for twelve months and resulted in the development of the Project Document to transform the National Museum Dar es Salaam into a National Museum and House of Culture. Tengbom/Michelsen Architects were commissioned to do the architect´s brief and joined the workshops and study travels in order to carry out an architect brief and design concept.
On 9th September, 2005 an agreement to support the project was signed between Embassy of Sweden/Sida and Government of Tanzania was reached. A contract was signed between National Museum of Tanzania and Tengbom/Michelsen in association with Norman & Dawbarn Ldt (T) and a Tanzanian consultant team.
The construction of House of Culture commenced on 2 August 2007 with a scheduled completion date at the end of January 2010.
In the year 2002 The National Museum of Tanzania (NMT) requested the Embassy of Sweden to support the establishment of House of Culture at the National Museum Dar es salaam. Through dialogue and consultations the Embassy of Sweden /Sida accepted the idea for a House of Culture on condition that stakeholders be involved in the identification of their needs through a participatory process.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT
The museum plot is located in the central part of Dar es Salaam in what was once the Botanical garden established by the German colonial Government in 1912. The National Museum garden is still very green with big trees dominating the landscape. Shabaan Robert Street, Samora Avenue and Sokoine Drive surround the plot. All streets are planted with allies of huge trees forming a green canopy over the streets.
The National Museum is the place where the Tanzanian cultural heritage is displayed. The House of Culture is the complementing stage, where the contemporary Tanzanian culture becomes alive. The National Museum and House of Culture is the natural meeting point, where Tanzanian culture is collected and displayed. Since Tanzanian culture is a living culture with oral and dance traditions, music, art and cooking traditions the indoor and outdoor premises will be designed to support these activities.
The museum shall have upgraded laboratories and storages to preserve the collections and displays in the existing and new premises, in permanent and temporary exhibition areas and circulation area.
The target groups are children, youth and tourists.
The design is environmental friendly with good indoor climate with daylight and natural ventilation. The architectural african concept is an integration of nature and buildings. Hence the prominent existing buildings and big trees will be used and new buildings added as a framework for indoor and outdoor activities.
Climate design:
The layout of new and existing buildings on site in the former Botanical garden is designed to catch the breeze from the Indian Ocean situated north of the site. The monsoon comes from the north during the hot season and from northeast during the cold season.
The sun must be avoided along walls facing east and west. A small roof overhang and louvre screens is enough for shading the facades. The wind comes from the north – northeast, passes the Botanical garden and open courtyards, through the verandas and into the buildings through perforated walls.
The buildings are designed for natural cross ventilation. Therefore they are provided with sliding aluminium windows that can close or open behind shading louvre panels. These are aluminium screens or perforated plastered block wall panels towards the streets. Along ground floor or in front of bigger glass areas wooden panels on iron bars (for security) give a warm and soft character. Towards the garden there are open verandas and perforated plastered block walls added outside the external wall with windows.
All buildings A, B, C, D and E have pitched aluminium roofs, sloping towards the garden with the higher level rising towards the surrounding streets. The sloping roofs direct the rainwater towards the garden, where gutters and rainwater pipes take care of the rainwater and lead it to the water tank. The roof over the veranda gives shade to the concrete slab underneath. They are all ventilated.
Referring to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA Nov 2004) for the National Museum and House of Culture Project an environmental friendly profile has been promoted in the design of this project. Solar panels are added for warm water and water reservoir for collection of rainwater.
The project consists of five blocks at a total area of 7,022 sqm. Block A, C and E are new buildings and block B and D are existing buildings, being renovated..
Building A consists of three parts; the multimedia and conference centre; the theatre with adjacent premises and the restaurant and café. They are divided by corridors, which also serve as fire escape and horizontal ventilation shafts.
Building B is for permanent and temporary exhibitions
The existing entrance in building B is enlarged towards the Shaaban Robert Street. The new entrance is designed so that all visitors pass the reception before they enter either the exhibitions in building B and C or to the cultural activities in building A. Beside the welcoming generous reception there is a museum shop, also seen from outside. Visitors can see the garden and the big tree from the entrance.
The ground floor is still used for temporary exhibitions and first floor for permanent exhibitions. This area is nearly doubled so it can house a new room for “hall of man” and other items. The room above the entrance is 5.5 m high and can be used for special effects.
Building C is a new structure and has a large area for children and children’s art with windows and doors opening towards the courtyard. It is equipped with water, wash basins and benches for wet art, like painting and sculpturing but also benches and furniture for dry art, like sowing, paper cutting etc. There will also be computers for children to explore internet services.
This area is divided from the temporary exhibition by dividing wall panels put in a symmetric diagonal angle to create divided spaces for children on one side and more exhibition wall area on the other.
Building D is used for museum collections in the ground floor and museum administration in the first floor. Both floors are connected to building E through a veranda in two storeys.
Building E is a new extension in three floors with premises serving the museum activities. The ground floor comprises photo documentation, workshops, laboratories, storages, staff rooms and a café with access to the garden veranda. There is a loading bay with garbage room and a receiving storage room towards the service yard.
Building F is only being renovated and used as it is today.
Sourcing of Materials
The design objective is to use locally available material and only import what cannot be found locally. Hence most of them are locally sourced and just a few of them imported.
Frequency of Renovations or Refurbishment
All materials have being chosen due to durability in order to minimise life time costs, i.e the walls, floors and roofs and windows. Most of them are also locally available in order to facilitate repair and maintenance.
The maintaince manuals will be prepared and issued to the client after the project completion.
PROJECT TEAM;
Client; National Museum Tanzania, Dr Paul Mzemwa, project director
Financier; Sida & Government of Tanzania
Architects; Tengbom Michelsen Architects Ltd, Sweden, in association with Norman + Dawbarn Ltd, Tanzania. Responsible Architects Ms Inger Thede, project manager and Mr Chazi Rwakanadi, project architect
Landscape Designer: Design Solution ltd, Ms Anita …..
Acoustic designers; Acad International, Mr Lennart Karlén, Sweden
Theatre specialist: Theatre specialists Mr Olle Söderberg, Sweden
Quantity Surveyors; Matawana Consulting Group ltd. Quantity Surveyor Mr. A.M. Chacky
Services Engineers; Electriplan (T) ltd,
Structures, Civil Engineers; Aqgola Engineering & Management services Ltd.
Main Contractor; China Railway Jiachan Engineering Co.(T) Ltd
