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Kunsthaus Bregenz
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Kunsthaus Bregenz
Cassie Yuan
Overview
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The Kunsthaus Bregenz is the work of Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. Located in the city of Bregenz in Austria, the Kunsthaus Bregenz is an art museum (the word "Kunsthaus" literally translates from German to "Art house") whose period of construction ran from 1990 to 1997. The museum is internationally renowned as both a prominent feat of architecture and as a domain for modern art exhibitions. It serves as an unique venue for contemporary artists to display their creations as well as provides the public of all ages with opportunities to immerse themselves into the realm of modern arts and architecture. Each floor of the museum is a single open space, allowing it to accommodate for artworks of all shapes and sizes. The muted tones and absence of decoration within the interior allow viewers to hone in on the displays without distraction, and furthermore emphasizes the professionalism in how the artworks are exhibited anfd should be viewed.
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Plans
(Figure 1, right) Ground and upper floor plans
(Figure 2, below) Sectional view of museum
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Total Exhibition Space: 1880 m²
Exterior
The concrete exterior of the Kunsthaus Bregenz is covered by a layer of semi-transparent glass plating. Steel rods hold the glass panels in place.²
(figure 3) Facade of the Kunsthaus Bregenz
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The glass casing diffuses light to reflect a striped, staircase pattern.
(figure 4) Kunsthaus Bregenz
upper levels of façade
The columns of glass panels slightly overlap each other, creating a scaly texture.
(figure 5)Die reine Notwendigkeit / The Pure Necessity
Films or images can be projected onto the glass surface of the Kunsthaus Bregenz
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Interior
(figure 6) Gallery Space
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Inside the Kunsthaus Bregenz, the neutral palette and frosted glass ceiling mimic the design of the exterior facade. The wide, open spaces, muted colors, and concrete walls create an isolated, almost cold atmosphere.
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(figure 7) Staircase
The minimalist style is present in every aspect of the museum, and it allows lighting to become an integral part of the museum's experience.
Kunsthaus Bregenz Rendering
In my drawing of the Kunsthaus Bregenz, I tried to depict the unique design that is produced when sufficient light is diffused through the outer glass shell.
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Google Earth View
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The Kunsthaus Bregenz is purposely located near the edge of Lake Constance. This allows the museum's glass exterior to reflect not only the colors and light from the sky, but also those from the water, meaning the museum's outer appearance is dependent upon weather and time of day. The Kunsthaus Bregenz is located within an urban area, allowing it to be easily acessible to many residents. The Kunsthaus museum shares the block with another cultural building - the Vorarlberg Museum, which establishes the area as one dedciated to celebrating art and culture.
Images courtesy of google maps
Interview with Susan Philipsz
Link to video interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugl7X7Hu4TA
Susan Philipsz was invited by a friend to visit the Kunsthaus Bregenz in 2016. She was captivated by the way in which light flooded throughout the entire museum and by the movement of light as it shone through glass paneling. She divulges the fact that Peter Zumthor had been inspired by fog to design the lighting effect present in the Kunsthaus. Philipsz also found the acoustics of the museum interesting, describing how sounds would vibrate throughout the long, open areas, creating a slight echo.
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Video: Kunsthaus Bregenz
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Link to video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf_DouaP0xw
This video showed a walkthrough of the Kunsthaus Bregenz. From the video, I noticed several interesting aspects of the building, one being that each floor is one large, open exhibition space, and that the floors are nearly identical to each other (muted colors, bare concrete walls). The artworks that were displayed were very spaced out and did not have description cards/labels. The stairs that connect the floors are contained in narrow spaces, go straight up in a vertical line, and completely isolate viewers from seeing anything else until they reach the nest floor.
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Blog Feature: "Zumthor Part II: Kunsthaus Bregenz"
Link to blog:
https://blog.overlandpartners.com/zumthor-part-ii-kunsthaus-bregenz/
The author of this blog post wrote about his experience visiting the Kunsthaus Bregenz. One important piece of information I learned is that the museum's administrative area and cafe are housed separately from the main exhibition building. Zumthor designed this for the purpose of eliminating outside distractions, thereby allowing visitors to completely immerse themselves within the art and architecture of the Kunsthaus Bregenz. The author also states that the simplicity of the design and layout within the museum helps "alleviate the museum fatigue that often arises in its larger cousins". I agree with his assertion, as I think that though the Kunsthaus Bregenz displays magnificance in space and light, its grandeur creates a serene rather than overwhelming atmosphere.
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Journal Feature: "Mystical Presence"
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Online scholarly journal article found through the Avery Index.
Three important facts:
- On the ground floor of the Kunsthaus Bregenz, there is a space called the "Arena" that is dedicated to artworks that incorporate the unique architectural aspects of the museum. Exhibitions in this space have included the usage of strategically place lights and mirrors.
- The majority of the exhibtions displayed in the Kunsthaus Bregenz have been created exclusively for the museum.
- The staircase that runs along the side of the museum is named "Spiral Betty", and it is a reference to gender issues that arose from the male-dominant period of minimalist art.
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Library Print Source A: Scholarly Journal Article
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The article provides a general analysis of the Kunsthaus Bregenz and in turn also comments on Zumthor's architectural style. Despite the fact that the Kunsthaus Bregenz is more vertical in stature, Zumthor preserves the promenade aspect of the museum experience through slightly spiraled stairs, subtle changes in ceiling height, and clever use of space. Natural and artificial lighting are filtered through glass panels into the rooms, their intensities varying to achieve a disuniform lighting that is both gentle to the eyes and reminiscent of natural conditions. The stark, bare building materials awaken the sense of viewers and make the displayed artworks, as well as the messages they induce, all the more compelling.
Personal photo
Source located in Architecture Library
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Library Print Source B: Book
Titled "Peter Zumthor: Kunsthaus Bregenz", this book is primarily a compilation of detailed images regarding all aspects of the Kunsthaus museum, from labeled plans to views of the interior and exterior to the general scenery surrouding the building. The images show that the building is very uniform in terms of both structure and decor and seems to be compromised of soley straight, clean-cut lines and angles. The book also points out interesting aspects of the building, my favorite one being that Zumthor denies visitors a view of Lake Constance from the Kunsthaus, as it would devalue the role of the Kunsthaus Bregenz in exhibiting art.
Personal Photo
Source located in Architecture Library
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Website Architect Feature: "Spotlight: Peter Zumthor"
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Link to website article:
https://www.archdaily.com/364856/happy-70th-birthday-peter-zumthor
Three Important Learned Facts:
- Zumthor's first job after studying architecture was a conservation architect. This occupation allowed him to become knowledge in areas regarding construction and material.
- Zumthor believes that one can only understand a building by experiecing it in person; therefore, he usually avoids media promotion for his projects.
- Zumthor is the winner of the 2009 Pritzker Prize.
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(figure 8) Peter Zumthor
Citations (MLA)
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1 Trummer, Thomas D., and Werner Döring. “History.” Kunsthaus-Bregenz, Vorarlberger Kulturhäuser-Betriebsgesellschaft MbH, www.kunsthaus-bregenz.at/about-us/history/?L=1.
2 Kroll, Andrew. “AD Classics: AD Classics: Kunsthaus Bregenz / Peter Zumthor.” ArchDaily, 27 Jan. 2011, www.archdaily.com/107500/ad-classics-kunsthaus-bregenz-peter-zumthor.
3 Ibid
4 Ibid
5 Ibid
6 KunsthausBregenz. YouTube, YouTube, 19 Apr. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugl7X7Hu4TA.
7 skitchis. YouTube, YouTube, 4 Mar. 2007, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf_DouaP0xw.
8 Snyder, Jeff. “Zumthor Part II: Kunsthaus Bregenz.” Overland, Wordpress, 6 June 2014, blog.overlandpartners.com/zumthor-part-ii-kunsthaus-bregenz/.
9 "Mystical Presence." Architectural Review, vol. 202, no. 1210, 1997, pp. 46-53. ProQuest, http://ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/55227571?accountid=7118.
10 Achleitner, Friedrich. "Peter Zumthor: Museo d'Arte, Bregenz, Austria = Art Museum, Bregenz, Austria." Domus, no. 798, 1997, pp. 36-43. ProQuest, http://ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/55237348?accountid=7118.
11 Köb Edelbert, et al. Peter Zumthor: Kunsthaus Bregenz. 2nd ed., Verlag Gerd Hatje, 1999.
12 AD Editorial Team. “Spotlight: Peter Zumthor.” ArchDaily, ArchDaily, 26 Apr. 2018, www.archdaily.com/364856/happy-70th-birthday-peter-zumthor.
Appendix:
Figure 1: Vorarlberger Kulturhäuser-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH. “Sectional View A Und B.” Kunsthaus-Bregenz, Vorarlberger Kulturhäuser-Betriebsgesellschaft MbH, www.kunsthaus-bregenz.at/about-us/architecture/?L=1.
Figure 2: Vorarlberger Kulturhäuser-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH. “Ground plan Foyer and Upper Floors.” Kunsthaus-Bregenz, Vorarlberger Kulturhäuser-Betriebsgesellschaft MbH, www.kunsthaus-bregenz.at/about-us/architecture/?L=1.
Figure 3: Peter Zumthor. Kunsthaus Bregenz (Art Museum), façade in site context. 1990-97. Artstor, library.artstor.org/asset/ATEXASIG_WANG_10311780032
Figure 4: Peter Zumthor. Kunsthaus Bregenz (Art Museum), upper levels of façade. 1990-97. Artstor, library.artstor.org/asset/ATEXASIG_WANG_10311780033
Figure 5: Tretter, Markus. “Die Reine Notwendigkeit / The Pure Necessity.” Kunsthaus-Bregenz, Vorarlberger Kulturhäuser-Betriebsgesellschaft MbH, 2018, www.kunsthaus-bregenz.at/press/current-exhibition/david-claerbout/?L=1.
Figure 6: Peter Zumthor. Kunsthaus Bregenz (Art Museum), gallery space. 1990-97. Artstor, library.artstor.org.ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/asset/ATEXASIG_WANG_10311779886
Figure 7: Peter Zumthor. Kunsthaus Bregenz (Art Museum), stairwell. 1990-97. Artstor, library.artstor.org.ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/asset/ATEXASIG_WANG_10311780035
Figure 8: AD Editorial Team. “Peter Zumthor at the Steilneset Memorial.” ArchDaily, ArchDaily, 26 Apr. 2018, www.archdaily.com/364856/happy-70th-birthday-peter-zumthor.
Background Image: Burley, Chog. “Interior of Kunsthaus Bregenz.” AVA, Audio Visual Architecture Ltd, 2016, avarchitecture.co.uk/kunsthaus-bregenz/.