Nina Schnatenberg

In the heart of Aachen close to the cathedral a house for modern art is supposed to be designed. Together with the treasury and the planned Bauhaus Europa a new cultural centre and attraction for the city is to be created. Beside changing exhibitions the Kunsthaus Aachen will offer space to present extracts of the Ludwig collection in the city centre.

The presentation of art is expanded beyond the walls of the museum.
Ground floors of the surrounding buildings put up museum institutions and art galleries. They build the border for a new place for art called Kunstort.

In order to treat the historic buildings with care the Kunsthaus adjusts to the forms of the surroundings by building a cover in the shape of a house. However size and inner structure define a particular position. A massive core spreads under the cover of the house and the square. This is where the art is displayed. The combination of core and cover forms an interval which holds foyer as well as staircases and invites to relax while visiting the museum.

By leaving out common elements such as doors and windows the house is reduced to sculptural appearance. The entrance is separated from the building located on the square. In the daytime parts of the facade open up and offer sights into the inside same as the outside. The cover closes at night and lets the museum appear as a sculpture.

Art is both shown in the inside and on the outer shell. Written in braille the word ‘art’ is transformed into a pattern which is punched into the metal facade.

The Kunsthaus creates its own brand for Aachen. With a high factor of recognition it stimulates the environment and increases the value of the Klosterplatz.

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