The Sprengel Museum in Hannover represents one of the most important collections of modern art in Germany. While the existing building was an innovative design of the 1970s, a growing program and advancements in technology demanded that the new extension reflect the cutting edge of contemporary design.
Using Kurt Schwitters’ concept ‘Merz’, which recognises no boundaries between different types of art, between the profound and the banal, or between art and life itself, the extension is conceptualised as a mediator between the existing museum and the new galleries.
The internal organisation of spaces is structured in three parts: the Schwitters collection, an area for temporary exhibitions, and the permanent collection. To underline the monolithic character of the building a concept of perforated ceilings that fade gently into the walls was proposed. The central rhombus-shaped vertical foyer connects the ‘interior street’ and upper-level exhibition spaces of the old building with the new galleries.
The event space on the top-level can be detached from the galleries and offers a roof-terrace with stunning vistas over the Maschsee Lake, and towards the existing museum and sculpture promenade.
The iconic design of the Sprengel Museum extension employs the latest techniques of resource minimisation and is a showcase for energy efficiency and environmentally sustainable design.
