REDESIGN OF THE OFFICES, MEETING ROOM AND LOUNGE FOR THE MK&G CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
The MK&G Circle of Friends of the Museum für Kunst & Gewerbe Hamburg has also been given a new spatial design in the course of its reorganisation, inviting museum visitors to fi nd out more, linger in the lounge and learn more about the work of the Circle of Friends, which is located in the middle of the museum, in the west wing with a view of the railway station. The aim of the redesign of the premises was to give the Friends of the Museum a contemporary appearance and increase its visibility in the museum, as well as to appeal to a younger audience and inspire them with enthusiasm for the work of the Friends. Following the successful and highly acclaimed redesign of the museum foyer and the conference room, Studio Besau-Marguerre is now staging the offi ce of the MK&G Freundeskreis with lots of colour as the third project for the museum.
Opened in 1877, the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg is one of Europe‘s leading museums for cultural history, arts and crafts, design and photography. Its collections range from antiquity to the present day and encompass European, Islamic and East Asian cultures. Changing special exhibitions on current design and social themes enrich the museum and broaden the discourse, and the MK&G Circle of Friends has been supporting and promoting the activities of the MK&G for over 130 years. Founded in 1886 by Justus Brinckmann (1843-1915) as the ‘Kunstgewerbe-Verein’, initiated in 1921 by Max Sauerlandt as a support association and re-established in 1969 in honour of the museum‘s founder, the MK&G Freundeskreis, named Justus Brinckmann Gesellschaft e. V., is the oldest and, with around 2,500 members, the largest support association of its kind.
With the redesign, Studio Besau-Marguerre has taken the long history of the Friends of the MK&G and combined it with contemporary design elements, creating an exciting mix that pays tribute to history while bringing it into the present day. The interior concept features historical portraits of Justus Brinckmann and other striking exhibits, posters of the MK&G trade fair, which is co-organised by the Friends, and posters of other sponsored exhibitions, while the Friends‘ fi rst donation, the Elector‘s Owl, was chosen as a reminiscence of the faience collector Brinckmann and became the binding signet of the Friends and is now the inspiration for Studio Besau-Marguerre‘s colour concept.
A strong cobalt blue, combined with a light vanilla yellow, copper green, antimony yellow accents and a beige tone as a calm, warm base, originate from the same historical ceramics and thus from the colour palette of faience. this interplay of basic tones creates an alternation between stimulation and calming. The cobalt blue is also a colourful link to the foyer and thus demonstrates the strong cohesion of MK&G and the MK&G circle of friends.
While the lounge and meeting room are all about creating an inspiring atmosphere, the offi ce space was designed to create a warm and calm working environment, and the new zoning of the rooms gives the appearance of a clear division between the meeting room and offi ce spaces. To achieve this, Studio Besau-Marguerre uses fl oor-to-ceiling curtains to create storage space that is easy to access in a charming and simple way. The curtains also create a cosy, calm atmosphere and improve the acoustics of the room. In addition, existing furniture such as an inlaid cupboard from 1906, a gift for the Arts and Crafts Association, was integrated and an existing cupboard solution with a pantry kitchen was sustainably integrated into the concept by reworking the fronts.
At the rear of the area, in addition to four workstations, there is an extension of the window sill as a temporary standing workstation. In addition, a combination of a simple shelf and a curtain segment has been used to create additional storage space in the height of the room, while a counter in the entrance area has been dispensed with in favour of an open design. This is intended to provide a warm welcome, symbolising the open dialogue between the Friends and the building, its members and potential new members.
The contents of the MK&G Circle of Friends are communicated in an eye-catching way in the lounge located between the offi ces. With various seating options, the lounge invites visitors to linger during their visit to the museum, and thus casually invites them to inform themselves about the Circle of Friends. The strong blue of the wall colours with the historical architectural elements together with the electoral owl on a bright yellow base once again emphasises the relationship between the contemporary design and the historical reference to Justus Brinckmann and the work in the building.
Team:
Architects: Studio Besau-Marguerre
Electrical Engineers: Zillmer Elektrotechnik GmbH
Painter: Tribar Wagner
Carpentry: Fuhrmann Bühnentechnik
Furniture delivery and curtain installation: gärtner Büro und Wohnen GmbH
Photographer: Silke Zander
Materials Used:
Lights: e15, pendant lights North, D33cm, North, D23cm
Lounge seating: Objects of our days, BANK WEBER custom-made
Lounge cushions: KVADRAT Raf Simons
Meeting room table: Objects of our days, Meyer Color table
Meeting chairs: MDD, New School
Office chairs: Vitra, ID Trim
Curtains: Urban, Camira
