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Museums & Exhibitions / Daylight

Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie

Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Architects
schneider + schumacher Architekturgesellschaft mbH, Frankfurt am Main
Client
Städelsches Kunstinstitut
Occupant
Städelsches Kunstinstitut
Project size
4,100 sqm
Photos
Norbert Miguletz
Andrea Flak
Completion
2012
Overall building budget
52 million euros
Lighting budget
1.8 million euros
Awards
5

Bright Garden Halls: Extension to the Städel Museum in Frankfurt am Main

With an additional building for the presentation of contemporary art, the Städel Museum in Frankfurt has received the largest content-related and architectural extension in its history of almost 200 years.

The Frankfurt based architects schneider+schumacher have created around 3,000 sqm of new exhibition space below the Städel garden. 195 circular skylights with diameters ranging from 1.5 m-2.7 m perforate the slightly vaulted ceiling of the underground exhibition space.

Licht Kunst Licht AG
Licht Kunst Licht AG
Licht Kunst Licht AG
Licht Kunst Licht AG
Licht Kunst Licht AG
Licht Kunst Licht AG
Licht Kunst Licht AG
Licht Kunst Licht AG

The skylights are equipped with a complex system of horizontal, movable screens. Various daylight reduction layers up to a complete black-out are controlled according to the desired daylight amounts by an intelligent control technology. LEDs of two color temperatures mounted in the perimeter of the skylights are activated as daylight fades and provide for general illumination of the space at night time. Facing the interior, the skylights are covered with a fabric material, which is diaphanous and allows the visitor to sense the sky conditions.

Additionally, projectors can be applied in the skylights supplying an accentuating illumination. The monitoring of sky conditions is achieved by exterior sensors, which communicate with sensors in the interior space. It is readjusted via nominal values according to the use of the space.