Schaulager

Related people

Pierre de Meuron (architect)
Jacques Herzog (architect)
Herzog and de Meuron (architect)

Location

Europe->Switzerland->Basel

Description

Schaulager is an open warehouse that provides the optimal spatial and climatic conditions for the preservation of works of art. The collection of the Emanuel Hoffmann Foundation forms the main core of the Schaulager. The institution functions as a mix between public museum, art storage facility and art research institute. It is primarily directed at a specialist audience but is also open to the general public for special events and the annual exhibitions.
The heavy outer wall is built up in layers and its outer surface scratched, exposing the pebbles excavated on site. This material is not only a visual expression of weight and storage but also, as a result of its great inertia, an essential factor in the interior climate control. On one side the box is somewhat indented, creating a forecourt, so that the entrance side is visible from a great distance. It appears to be guarded by a small building with a gabled roof.

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