Ecuador to Hold Public Vote on National Museum Designs After Controversy

Ecuador's government is launching a new selection process for the National Museum (MuNa) design, allowing citizens to vote on three finalist proposals. This public participation will carry a 15% weight in the final decision, a move initiated after the initial winning design sparked widespread criticism.

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, Roberto Luque, stated that nine of the seventeen initial finalists have chosen to participate in this new phase. He expressed confidence that this revised process will result in a project that truly embodies the vision for the National Museum and serves as a source of national pride. The previous selection, 'Ecos del sol' by Spanish-Ecuadorian firm Campo Baeza + MAODA, was chosen on July 6 by a jury based on design quality, innovation, sustainability, and functionality.

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we are convinced that this process will allow us to choose a project that best represents the vision of the National Museum and will be a source of pride for the country.

However, the 'Ecos del sol' design faced significant backlash, particularly on social media, contributing to the resignation of Vice Minister of Culture Romina Muñoz. Following this controversy, the government rejected the initial winning design and invited the finalists to resubmit their proposals. The Campo Baeza + MAODA team has voiced disagreement with the new phase, arguing it compromises the transparency and integrity of the original public competition.

A technical jury, including international architects, will evaluate the revised proposals, with their assessment contributing 85% to the final score. The top three designs will then be displayed online for public voting. The new National Museum is slated for construction in Quito with an investment of one hundred million dollars.

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it breaks the transparency and integrity of a public competition process whose terms and conditions have been published and explicitly accepted by all participating teams.