VIENNA HAS A NEW MUSEUM: Wien Museum at Karlsplatz
The Vienna Museum's recent renovation and expansion is a seemingly modest yet remarkably complex architectural intervention that preserves heritage while embracing the future. The winning design in an international competition, by Certov/Winkler+Ruck Architekten, skillfully integrated new architecture into the existing 1959 Oswald Haerdtl building. The architects' decision to retain much of the original structure and add two extra floors is a testament to their respect for the past.
The new museum boasts several extraordinary architectural features, including a grand, four-floor spanning main gallery that occupies the former atrium, and a stunning terrace offering panoramic views of Karlsplatz, the surrounding park, and the Karlskirche.
In this video, the museum's director, Christina Schwarz, tells us the new architecture has not only improved the exhibition areas but also enhanced the museum's overall functionality as a conservation center, an educational hub, and a meeting place, all around its core function – a space where visitors can enjoy in the tales of Vienna's grandeur, examples of mundane living but also face Vienna's darkest times.
The architects adhered to fulfilling all the important requirements, including increasing the floor space from 6,900 to 12,000 square meters and incorporating sustainability features like geothermal power and photovoltaics.
The new "above" exhibition space allows the museum to accept the "British Model," offering free entry to its permanent thematic galleries while reserving the top floor for specialized temporary exhibitions. The new architecture, together with the presented collections and the free entrance policy, have multiplied the visitor numbers in a short period after reopening.
Video is produced by Damir Kovacic, for the video exhibition "Austrian Architecture Today".
Music by Rastko Aksentijevic.
With the support of Kultur Forum Austria.
Swisspearl Österreich supported the work on this video.