Bauhaus Museum Dessau

Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer

Bauhaus Museum Dessau

addenda architects

LOCAL ARCHITECT
Bal Bauplanungs Und Steuerungs Gmbh

MANUFACTURERS
Autodesk, Jansen, Creation Baumann, Duravit, Fsb Franz Schneider Brakel, Hager, Zumtobel

DESIGN TEAM
Addenda Architects

CLIENTS
Fundaión Bauhaus Dessau Y Ciudad De Dessau-rosslau

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Addenda Architects (Roberto González, Anne K. Hinz, Cecilia Rodríguez, Arnau Sastre, José Zabala)

STRUCTURES ENGINEERING
B+g Ingenieure Bollinger Und Grohmann Gmbh

FACILITIES ENGINEERING
Inros Lackner Se

LANDSCAPING
Roser Vives De Delàs Y Patricia Pérez-rumpler

CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANT
Xmade

LIGHTING CONSULTANT
Lichtvision Design Gmbh

PROJECT MANAGER CONSULTANT
Tp Management Gmbh

ART AND ARCHITECTURE CURATOR CONSULTANT
Moritz Küng

FACADE LUMINOUS SIGN CONSULTANT
Mevis & Van Deursen And Karl Nawrot

COLLABORATORS
Anne C. Kiefer

PHOTOGRAPHS
Thomas Meyer

AREA
5513 m²

YEAR
2019

LOCATION
Dessau-rosslau, Germany

CATEGOREY
Museum

In 2015, Barcelona based Addenda Architects won the international competition for the Bauhaus Museum Dessau, which received 830 entries. The most significant aspect of the pragmatic and austere design is the subtle reincarnation of the Bauhaus spirit, notably identified with Mies’ famous oxymoron “less is more”.

Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer

Referring to some specific features of the Bauhaus school in Dessau – the glazed Curtain Wall, the two-story Bridge and the overall impression of transparency, lightness and plane surfaces – the new museum will embody a manifesto of contemporary culture that could most accurately be described as “low resolution at its best”.

The new Bauhaus Museum Dessau links an iconographic heritage ("Less is More") with a manifesto of contemporary culture ("The Age of Less").

The new Bauhaus Museum Dessau is a clear and simple volume located between city and Park, construction and nature.

Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer

Its position, a little set back from the former historic building line, suggests a continuation with the city urban legacy. The building has an intermediate urban scale, between the size of a building and the size of a city block.

Its position and dimension act as a city limit, which demarcates city and Park. Its four facades, oriented towards the four cardinal points, reflect the qualities of its position.

Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer

The Eastern Facade, facing Kavalierstrasse, recalls the old building line and the building's urban character.

The western facade, towards the park, is influenced by the reflection of nature and acts as a background for outdoor gathering and activities.

The northern facade, in Friedrichstrasse and in front of the Post Office building, is devoted to logistics and administration.

The southern facade, facing the Stadtgespräch fountain, promotes social interaction through some Museum activities like workshops and other cultural events.

Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer

Inside the glass box, the collection is concealed in a black concrete hollow beam structure supported by two boxes that contain the staircases.

The space between this suspended beam and the glass box is a highly flexible, easy to configure and reconfigure space, thanks to a system based on a virtual grid, which is the result of a regular geometrical subdivision of the structure. This feature ensures the highest feasibility in terms of time, cost and building quality.

Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer

The visitor's entrance, located where Ratsgasse and Stadtpark meet, is part of the main central interior space, or "offene Bühne" (open stage), a vast space for gathering and exhibitions between the park and the city.

The permanent collection is placed in a monolithic, hermetic and column-free hall in the upper level, accessed via stairways and lifts located in the two supports.

Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer

The temporary exhibition is underneath the Collection, which is also part of the "offene Bühne". It sets a dialogue with the immediate urban reality while allows the facade to change its appearance with each new exhibition.

The Museum’s Logistics, Administration and Education areas are placed at the ends of the Black Box. Logistics and Administration areas are located in the north area while museum education, events, and workshops are located in the south area.

Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer

Thanks to its location and recognizable, quiet presence, the Bauhaus Museum will play a key role in Dessau's urban identity as an instrument to express activity and productivity, creativity and social interaction.

Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
© Thomas Meyer


Bauhaus Museum Dessau
Ground Floor Plan
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
First Floor Plan
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
Basement Plan
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
Detail Section
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
Context Plan


Bauhaus Museum Dessau
East Elevation
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
South Elevation


Bauhaus Museum Dessau
Longitudinal Section
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
Cross Section - Basement
Bauhaus Museum Dessau
Cross Section - Cantilever