Museums in the 21st Century: Concepts, Projects, Buildings
September 19-December 13, 2009
Image 1
Anamorphosis Architects, Museum of the Hellenic World, Athens, Greece, 2009-2011, Model general view with the roof removed, 2003 © Bernard Tschumi Architects with Michael Photiadis, ARSY, Athens
Image 4
Ban, Shigeru / de Gastines, Jean, Centre Pompidou Metz, Metz, Lothringen, France, 2006-2008, General view, 2005 © Image 3D © CA2M, Shigeru Ban Architects Europe with Jean de Gastines Architect, Artefactory
Image 8
Coop Himmelb(l)au, Musée des Confluences, Lyon, France, 2001-2008, Rendering, 2005 © rendering isochrom / vienna
Image 10
Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Eyebeam Museum of Art and Technology, New York, NY, USA, 2001 (on hold), Rendering, South-west-view © Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Image 12
Annette Gigon / Mike Guyer, Archäologisches Museum und Park Kalkriese, Osnabrück, Germany, 1998-2002, Pavilion "hearing", 2005 © Heinrich Helfenstein
Image 18
Spacelab, Peter Cook / Colin Fournier, Kunsthaus Graz am Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz, Austria, 2000-2003, photo by Zepp-Cam Seidl, 2004 © Kunsthaus Graz, Zepp-Cam
Image 20
UN Studio, Ben van Berkel / Caroline Bos, Mercedes Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany, 2002-2006, Highway view, 2005 © UN Studio
Image 21
Wood/Marsh Pty Ltd Architecture. ACCA - Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1996-2002, Foyer Space, 2002 © Wood/Marsh Pty Ltd Architecture photo by John Gollings
The dawn of the 21st century saw a massive building boom in the museum world. Since 2000, new museums have been established and constructed, existing institutions have been renovated and expanded, and old industrial monuments have taken up new significance as museum sites. Museums have become the new urban landmarks—a role that was formerly fulfilled by government buildings and cathedrals. They now serve as bold, imaginative symbols of our cultural and civic identity. A spectacular museum building can enhance a city’s attractiveness, shift a remote locale into global awareness or endow a fallow industrial zone with a new public function.
This exhibition presents 27 of the world’s most important museum building projects that have been conceived, planned and built in the early years 21st century. These projects are represented by sketches, architectural plans, photographs and models that highlight the diverse personalities of the world’s leading architects. From the Stonehenge Visitor Centre and Interpretive Museum by Denton Corker Marshall, to the collaborative restoration and reorganization of six of Berlin’s most treasured museums on Museum Island Berlin, the exhibition explores a broad range of possibilities and trends in museum architecture.
An Art Centre Basel exhibition, with idea and concept by Suzanne Greub and exhibition management by Daniel Boos.
