Contemporary Art Museum, 1983

 

Competition project

Location: Frankurt am Main

Author: Oscar Tusquets Blanca

Collaborators:

Project director: Claudia Mann

Projected area: 7.700 m2

“I was invited, with five other prestigious international teams, to participate in this competition.  The museum was placed in a strategic site of the city, close to the cathedral, on the border between the historical district and the modern edification, in a difficult triangular shape building site. We had to respect very strict ordinances regarding total buildability, regulatory height, between floors heights, maximum volumes and natural lighting.

    The idea behind the project is to place the great room with upper daylight (Oberlichtsaal) in the center of the piano nobile. When, through the great staircase, we reach the level, all of it becomes visible and we get a clear idea of the whole museum. Although we have two levels above, we achieve skylight by means of a subtle interplay of transparencies and reflections.

    The outside of the building responds rather to the architectural environment (where there are still preserved architectural relics of what was once a very beautiful city) than to the unpredictable contents of the museum. The sharp bow pierced by two monumental arches symbolizes the gateway to the old city and shows the "guts" of the building. At the opposite end, the museum's entrance is advanced to the historic center and is protected by a canopy which, in turn, creates the cafe terrace.

     This project deserved an accesit in the competition that Hans Hollein won, who actually performed the work. "

    OTB