Panama City’s Biomuseo presents the geologic, biological, and human story of the land bridge that rose from the sea, connecting North and South America and allowing an exchange of species that ultimately defined the world we know today. Lightswitch worked closely with Gehry Partners as the architectural and exhibit designs evolved during the course of this decade-long project.
Panama City’s Biomuseo presents the geologic, biologic, and human story of the land bridge that rose from the sea, connecting North and South America and allowing an exchange of species that ultimately defined the world we know today.
The museum foundation selected architect Frank Gehry, who interpreted these events as a vibrant collision of color and concrete. The 4,000-square-meter complex comprises two wings of exhibit halls that represent North and South America. They converge at the colorful central atrium, which evokes the spirit of a continental crash through explosive architectural forms.
Lightswitch worked closely with Gehry Partners as the architectural and exhibit designs evolved during the course of this decade-long project. Our goal was to create interior and exterior lighting that respected the work of the architects and designer Bruce Mau, all the while paying homage to the bright energy of Panama City.
In the central atrium, which contains limited mounting locations, we modeled the complex geometries, roof surfaces, and flying beams using 3-D software to plan the illuminated area and shadows. Throughout the museum, our lighting thoughtfully reveals the unique content in each space — from theatrical fixtures that highlight the shapes of rock formations to luminaires on vertical booms that capture the drama and awe of the life-size animal sculptures on display. As a whole, our interior and exterior lighting design helped create the dynamic evening environment Gehry envisioned.
After our previous collaboration with Gehry Partners, our team had a nuanced understanding of the firm’s iconic architectural vocabulary and its relationship to light. With this in mind, we created lighting that illuminated the building’s architectural and artistic intentions, even as the design developed over time. The final product is one that celebrates the formative geographic history of the Panama region through brilliant bursts of light and color.
