Among the works of architects gmp - von Gerkan, Marg und Partner, there are large museums in China and Vietnam (in Beijing, Shanghai, Hanoi), but a similar project in their homeland was implemented by them only now. This is a new wing of the Kunsthalle Museum of Contemporary and Contemporary Art in Mannheim with an area of more than 17 thousand m2, which complements the historic "Billing Building" (named after its architect) in the Art Nouveau style.
The new main entrance faces, as it was conceived more than a century ago when the Kunsthalle was founded, to the Friedrichsplatz square, and leads to the atrium, from where the circular sightseeing routes begin. On the one hand, “cubes” with halls and other rooms inside create a variety in the museum, similar to the urban landscape, on the other - as in the “city of squares” Mannheim itself with a regular center layout - it is impossible to get lost in the new building. It is connected with the old building by the historic "wing of Athena" (now James Turrell has worked on it), and then the visitor can enter the sculpture garden.
The halls of the new building have mostly received overhead lighting, but where there are windows, a visual connection with the environment has been created. According to architects, art comes to the city in the form of architecture, and the city enters the museum through views from the inside, for example, of the famous water tower. There is also a terrace on the top floor, which is included in the sightseeing routes.
The façade is covered with a stainless steel mesh with a bronze finish, in harmony with the sandstone of the neighboring buildings; the total weight of its panels is 44 tons, the area is 4635 m2. Its density varies - in blind areas, its weaving is denser. An external lighting system creates a spectacular image for the Kunsthalle in the dark.
