Kulturforum, Berlin
A new museum building set amidst the collection of landmark (and highly figural) existing buildings of the Kulturforum, the design concept for this project sought to re-establish the presence of the basic urban block as defined by older parts of the city. Anchoring an otherwise undefined city fabric, the project manifests a basic set of elements which composes urban order: street wall, urban plaza, public space. Composed of three cubic volumes, the new museum respects the adjacent architecture through its restrained demeanor, yet exerts a delicate and engaging presence by forming urban spaces and eroding the ground plane.
View of fragmented urban fabric and solution of reorganizing the city block (center).
Gallery and other program volumes are stacked and arranged in each of the three museum blocks to create a collection of solids that are shrouded in a translucent glass veil. The spaces between the outer envelope and blocks within create interior voids dedicated to social interaction and public gathering within the museum proper. Natural daylight invades the spaces between program blocks, while the boxes exude a delicate and mysterious glow during the evening hours.