A museum for Herbert Liaunig’s extensive, private art collection that regarding its remote location needs to attract visitors and create a space for contemplative indulgence in art. At the same time, the budget and the building operating expenses should be kept to a minimum.
Opening in 2008
In order to keep the expenses low and the energy strategy optimal is 95% of the building underground – the excavated earth has been distributed on the site. When entering the building one passes by a large viewable storage area, a wine cellar for art, which leads to the light filled main hall, the central space of the building.
As a contradictory to the contemplative viewing of art, in this space visitors get a dramatic orchestration intensified through the views of the surrounding terrain. The impression of being underground does not occur.
Minor expansion in 2012
The client could be persuaded to give up the idea of constructing a detached hall on the edge of the forest which was intended for storage of sculptures and equipment.
Rather than the original idea, a cone shaped room was efficiently molded out of fermentation tanks and is perceived as a small mound in the landscape from the outside. Primarily this room was not constructed for the public viewing; however, this sacral-like storage has quickly found its function being changed to an exhibition space.
Class listed monument, 2013
The museum was opened in 2008 and was declared as a listed monument in 2013. With that, the building became the youngest building in Austria to be placed under preservation order.
The big expansion in 2015
This expansion that was already a part of the 2006 competition proposal, could finally take its form in 2015. In addition to storage areas and the sculpture garden, a new space for temporary exhibitions has been added by the main entrance.
A long, underground corridor connects the existing sculpture storage area built in 2012 with the rest of the museum. Attached to the gold collection room, the new underground rooms for glass and miniature collections have been added and made accessible through a long ramp. With the new measures it was important to create a relationship to the outside, providing the visitors with an experience related to the surrounding scenery as well as the building itself.
With that in mind, the selective skylights, a glass gate on the end of the long corridor and the triangular atrium are an important part of the concept. The temporary exhibition space, with the inclusion of a library-gallery, has been optically enlarged from 500m2 exhibition space to 700m2 suspended ceiling covering the exhibition space and the library. Source by querkraft architekten zt gmbh.
Structural engineering
The project was realized with minimum funding. Approx. 1600€/m2 net useable surface, incl. management utilities is a record-breaking price for a museum. The skillfully added expansion connects seamlessly with the existing building. The new approx. 15m wide opening connecting the old parts with the new ones is therefore not perceived as the newly added. Source by querkraft architekten.
Location: Neuhaus 41, Austria
Architects: querkraft architekten zt gmbh
Project manager: Stefanie Meyer
Team: Gil Cloos
Head of planning: Werkstatt Wien
Daylight simulation: Klaus Pokorny
Landscape architects: Weidlfein
Interior-/shopdesign: Peter Liaunig
Showcases: Hartmann, Berlin
Subcontractors: Teil Generalunternehmer – Arge Museum Liaunig Porr Bau GmbH – Swietelsky Bau GmbH Haustechnik- Ausführung, Hechenleitner & Cie GmbH – Elektroinstallationsarbeiten – Mahkovec I & H GmbH Metallbau – MBM Metallbaumörtel GmbH – Türen/ Portale – Ei2 Protector GmbH Lichtkuppeln – Lichtkuppeln & RWA Anlagen GmbH
Client: HL Museumverwaltung GmbH
Utility area: existing 5.000 m2, expansion 2.700 m2,
Total floor area: existing 5.600 m2, expansion 3.100 m2
Year ground-breaking: april 2014
Year: 2015
Photographs: Lisa Rastl, Courtesy of querkraft architekten
