The new building of the Abegg Foundation, a renowned textile museum in Switzerland, is an extension of the existing exhibition space and has been carried out according to specifications of the latest museum technology. One of OAP’s challenges has been to design a museum building with exhibits that, by modern conservation requirements, may not be exposed to daylight. In addition to the functional requirements, particularly in the area of lighting and building climate, an architectural expression had to be found for the new complex that complements the volumetric of the existing buildings and incorporates it into the landscape moraine of the Bernese Alps. The repeatedly occurring, bare sedimentary rock in the surrounding countryside was an inspiration for OAP. From the consideration of these impressive geological features, a so-called ‘landscraper’ arose — a building that is part of the landscape, and a landscape that is part of the building. OAP chose a regionally occurring travertine stone for the masonry façade and self-supporting outer element. The sturdy stone is — not only symbolically — the protective sheath of its precious contents. The special structure of the limestone is formed by embedded and decaying vegetable matter, which produces a diverse porosity. The lively ...
The new building of the Abegg Foundation, a renowned textile museum in Switzerland, is an extension of the existing exhibition space and has been carried out according to specifications of the latest museum technology. One of OAP’s challenges has been to design a museum building with exhibits that, by modern conservation requirements, may not be exposed to daylight. In addition to the functional requirements, particularly in the area of lighting and building climate, an architectural expression had to be found for the new complex that complements the volumetric of the existing buildings and incorporates it into the landscape moraine of the Bernese Alps. The repeatedly occurring, bare sedimentary rock in the surrounding countryside was an inspiration for OAP. From the consideration of these impressive geological features, a so-called ‘landscraper’ arose — a building that is part of the landscape, and a landscape that is part of the building. OAP chose a regionally occurring travertine stone for the masonry façade and self-supporting outer element. The sturdy stone is — not only symbolically — the protective sheath of its precious contents. The special structure of the limestone is formed by embedded and decaying vegetable matter, which produces a diverse porosity. The lively ...