Case Study: Moritzburg Museum
- Alma Madera
- May 8, 2017
- 2 min read
A successful ReInvigoration project is the extension of the Moritzburg Castle which was converted to the Moritzburg Museum located in Hale (Saale), Germany. The caste is an example of Gothic German Military and religious architecture of the late fifteenth century. Originally built as a palace for the archbishop, its significance and opposing history has been showcased in the alterations that have been made throughout the centuries. During the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) the North and West wings of the castle collapsed and remained as a ruin, left as an image of a romantic ruin which it has kept over the centuries to today. As years passed there has been some alteration, but the formal structure and the major architectural elements (the perimeter wall-precinct, three of the four circular tower corners, and the central armory court) remained intact. It had been proposed to become a University in 1829, but the plans never proceeded. In 1904 it was reestablished as a museum housing the best collections of expressionist and classical modern art. Until 2004 it remained unchanged, at this time the Sachsen Administration decided to reconstruct and expand the museum with new and permanent (some temporary) gallery exhibitions.
The project was spatially designed to follow the natural interruption of the ruins associated with the castle allowing to provide decent exposure to the art while showcasing a historic experience. The additions proceeded to enhance the use by opening up the western wing with a new large, folded platform roof that rises and fold to allow natural sunlight to where the art hangs. The new roof landscape of rigid aluminum-clad panels established a discourse between angular geometry and irregular volumes of the inclined roof of the castle. Additionally, two new vertical communication cores in which people travel through the building provides access to the new exhibition spaces. The contrast of design concepts from the original irregular shapes and high roofs and the new angular geometry allows for the art to be enhanced with its surroundings while still remaining compatible and flowing the existing structure.
Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos's main idea of the project answered the question: “Is it possible to reconstruct, starting from the representations of the place itself, and an architecture that connects symbolically with the past and reveals its contemporary condition to recompose reality? Overall the project preserves and protects that ancient ruins and the story of the Moritzburg Castle. This is accomplished by keeping the existing structure intact and overlaying concepts that display the building and the works inside. ReInvigoration allows for a freedom in historical design that can heighten the historical integrity of a building and integrate it modern/ contemporary settings. Through the use of contrast, duplication, and unexpected compatibility it allows for a visual and aesthetic representation of history.
