The individual was at the centre of our considerations: Why does collector herbert liaunig spends money on a special edifice for his art away from urban centres? Why would visitors be willing to drive so far to get there? A simple box would have been too small. Our conceptional target was a unique symbolism. Moreover, the edifice should allow for a maximum of contemplative art enjoyment. Last but not least, it should impress visitors, yet without intimidating them.
Structure and placement
The museum is embedded in the high plateau like a sculpture in the landscape. Only a small part of the museum's elongated structure is visible. The main body of the museum cuts into the plateau and into a densely wooded embankment, offering a view of the river drau 70 meters below. On the approach road side, the building protrudes far above a steep embankment, making the museum visible to approaching visitors.
Efficiency and sustainability
The museum was erected at a construction cost of less than 1,500 €/m² of floor space (including installations and furniture). Conventional museums sometimes have budgets a multiple of that. The high cost of the external envelope is avoided by burying most of the building below ground. Instead of removing excavated soil, it was used to remodel the site. industrial materials like concrete, glass and sheet metal dominate the visible portion of the building. Set into the hill, the building benefits from an evenly tempered soil, thus guaranteeing an energy-efficient operation. A geothermal heat pump is used for heating and rooflight largely replaces artificial light.
Viewing depot
The large viewing depot is one of the main areas of the museum. Across the entire length of the slightly sloped approach to the main exhibition hall, visitors on their way to the exhibition are accompanied by the ‘wine cellar of art’. This underground structure offers the possibility to organise a variety of exhibitions by virtue of flexible screens and lighting arrangements. As a result of the exposed depot, visitors feel integrated immediately upon entering the museum. The inapproachable character of conventional museum architecture is intentionally avoided.
Art gallery
The building’s core is a 160-metre long, fully daylit exhibition hall, with protected terraces at each end. The gallery’s interior is modest, allowing art to come to the fore. the unusual length of the tube creates a unique identity. The room, 13 metres wide and 7 meters high, is covered by a translucent curved skin used in industrial structures, permitting daylight to enter. The hall is fitted with mobile exhibition panels.
Landscape view
Although the gallery is largely buried into the ground and only the roof juts out of the earth, visitors feel as if they were in an observation tower. The two ends of the building, which form almost 30-meter long overhangs, feature large glazed areas that look toward the landscape. These landscape views, framed by the concrete structure, offer a relaxing contrast to the intensive focus on the art objects.
Graphic collection and gold collection
The daylight-free, slightly conical room for the graphic collection is situated across the ramp-shaped entrance; it can be accessed directly from the main gallery and follows the direction of the entrance. A window facing neuhaus at the end of the graphic collection sits over the foyer. The gold collection is a separate chamber that can be accessed through a small corridor. Grigitte kowanz’s light installation accompanies the way to the collection underground.
