At present, the art museum occupies an ancient castle that is under heritage protection and structurally unsuitable for modern curation. It maintains a collection of world-renowned art pieces, especially from the Modernist period, including works by Kirchner, Feininger, Klee and El Lissitzky. Only 5 percent of the collection is currently on display.

Moritzburg Art Museum

TYPE Cultural, Museum, Public space
STATUS Competition
LOCATION Moritzburg, Germany
YEAR 2004
CLIENT Undisclosed

DESIGN TEAM Eva Castro, Ulla Hell, Holger Kehne

The competition was launched to develop a new extension located in the upper levels of the west wing ruin, combined with a reorganisation of the existing spaces.

Plasma Studio urban strategy sought to increase the porosity of the fortress; which at the moment can only be accessed by a bridge. Two additional accesses were introduced to encourage circulation through the castle, strengthening its connection to the city fabric. The castle stands out as a collection of parts, each incorporating the technological and cultural tools of their respective period. Following that tradition, Plasma Studio developed a structure that sits on top of the existing medieval cros vaults and incorporates their structural scale, but that is rendered fully contemporary in its material organisation (i.e. steel) and beyond. It is parametrically derived and controlled–not a finished product, but a dynamic armature that can respond to a variety of factors and be calibrated to meet the delicate heritage demands of the old castle.