The extension of the Kunsthall in Bremen is a building that evokes a sense of mystery through its ability to seamlessly integrate with its surroundings, yet maintain a sense of architectural autonomy.
The language of the extension is articulated through the dichotomy of its main interior spaces: the open light-flooded circulation areas and the closed cubic exhibition areas. This results in a differentiated sculpture, which is wrapped by a partly transparent, partly mirroring façade. This main gesture fragments the reflection of the environment on the building exterior and on the walls of the interior exhibition cube. These distorted reflections of reality, evocative of Dan Graham’s mirrored sculptures and Andy Warhol’s camouflage portraits, stimulate the imagination of the visitors yet integrate the building into the surrounding park and existing museum.
On an urban scale, the addition is carefully planned to portray the relationship between the park and the city, through its setback from the street and museum. The building mass is carefully placed to capitalize on the urban qualities of the site and re-introduce the continuity of the green belt surrounding the city of Bremen. While its façade blends the building into the park, its engaging sculptural quality and urban setting renders the building as an attractor, inviting visitors to the new exhibition complex. The architectural language of the Kunsthall addition is such that it respects and preserves the delicate site conditions, yet adds a strong contemporary counterpart to the existing museum.
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