Welcome to the Contemporary Museum of Art and Design!

The C*MAD does more than display art.

It is the only institution in the Philippines where contemporary art and design is celebrated, exhibited, documented, consumed, and created! Its design evolved from site analysis, its hybrid program, and sustainable strategies.

The building is located on the corner of McKinley Parkway, which traverses Bonifacio Global City and 9th Avenue, which connects the American Cemetery to Kalayaan Avenue. The site was selected for its adjacency to the Arts Building and sculpture park on Federacion Drive; high visibility from view corridors; access to major transportation and pedestrian routes; proximity to the commercial areas of BGC, its residential communities, and to the American Cemetery.

The program is arranged into three categories: Display (Art and Design Museum/ Conservation/Archive); Education (Classrooms/Lecture Hall/Library); and Social(Gardens/Restaurants/Shops/ Theater/Event Space/Studios). These categories intersect throughout the building and their interrelationship is a reflection of the multidisciplinary collection, ranging from painting to architecture, housed in the museum. It is also a metaphoric representation of the traditional Filipino Bayanihan spirit. Collectively, the hybrid program elements, the collection, and the architecture of the building create a unique space for the community and the city.

The C*MAD is designed with sustainable strategies for tropical climates. It maximizes natural ventilation and daylighting. It minimizes solar heat gain and east-west sun exposure. The massing optimizes views and circulation (vehicular and pedestrian) through the site as well as around it. Views, light, and airflow are also maximized from the terraces between spaces. C*MAD’s stacked and porous form allows for the flexibility to create multiple experiences for the building’s programmatic needs and diverse users. The form also creates a unique pattern for the green roof which is an important public space and is part of the building’s lighting and graphic system.

The building is designed to adapt. Its form will evolve to accommodate future spaces that can stack on top of existing ones. Because the C*MAD is modeled in BIM, expansions can easily be designed and integrated. The BIM model also enabled sustainable analysis and an efficient method for the construction of the building. It integrated building systems such automation; water collection and recycling; alternative solar energy production; mechanical ventilation; lighting; and security. The building will use modular, locally produced, and energy efficient materials that can be modified and recycled.

Inside, C*MAD properly displays art and design works in a climate and humidity controlled environment with appropriate natural and artificial lighting. Other spaces are also monitored by the building systems. Interior finishes have low VOC content and low carbon footprints. As a smart building, the data derived from the users of the building, transmitted via RFID or their mobile devices, will supply information that will improve users’ experiences as well as aid in designing expansions. The information will generate live, kinetic art displayed on the facade. Information about the building, its collection, and events can be accessed through the building on the C*MAD’s website, www.cmadphilippines.org, and mobile app.