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Mercedes-Benz Museum / UNStudio
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- Curated by ArchDaily
Museum
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Stuttgart, Germany
Architects: UNStudio
- Area: 35000 m²
- Year: 2006
Photographs:Eva Bloem
Manufacturers: KEIM, iGuzzini, Artitec Wallebroek, Atelier Mario Kortooms, Bohle Innenausbau, Clauss Markisen, Gretsch Unitas, Gretsch-Unitas, Kaupp + Diether, Kymo, Lampert Innenausbau, Neumann & Müller, Nuprotec, Rentschler, Rienth, Rosenthal, Schmid + Drüppel Metallbau, Twentinox, Zarges
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Infrastructure: Arup, David Johnston
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Landscaping: Knoll Ökoplan GmbH
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Climate Engineering: Transsolar Energietechnik GmbH
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Interior: UNStudio with Concrete Architectural Associates
Architect In Charge:Ben van Berkel
Design:UNStudio: Ben van Berkel, Tobias Wallisser, Caroline Bos with Marco Hemmerling, Hannes Pfau and Wouter de Jonge, Arjan Dingsté, Götz Peter Feldmann, Björn Rimner, Sebastian Schaeffer, Andreas Bogenschuetz, Uli Horner, Ivonne Schickler, Dennis Ruarus, Erwin Horstmanshof, Derrick Diporedjo, Nanang Santoso, Robert Brixner, Alexander Jung, Matthew Johnston, Rombout Loman, Arjan van der Bliek, Fabian Evers, Nuno Almeida, Ger Gijzen, Tjago Nunes, Boudewijn Rosman, Ergian Alberg, Gregor Kahlau, Mike Herud, Thomas Klein, Simon Streit, Taehoon Oh, Jenny Weiss, Philipp Dury, Carin Lamm, Anna Carlquist, Jan Debelius, Daniel Kalani, Evert Klinkenberg
Realisation:UNStudio, Wenzel + Wenzel, Matias Wenzel, Markus Schwarz, Clemens Schulte-Mattler, Ina Karbon
Realisation Team:Nicola Kühnle, Florian Erhard,Michael Fischinger, Christoph Friedrich, Peter Holzer, Christopf Krinn,Stefan Linder,Simon Schneider,Walter Ulrich, Gabriele Völker, Katrin Widmann,Christina Brecher, Stefanie Hertwerck,Ingolf Gössel,Ulla Ittensohn, Volker Hilpert, Thomas Koch, Ulrike Kolb, Bendix Pallesen- Mustikay, Marc Schwesinger andThuy Duong Du, Kathrin Steimle, Florian Goscheff, Thomas Hertlein, Yvonne Galdys, Deniz Hocaoglu, Katerina Karapanceva, Anka Volk, Patrick Yong
Exhibition Concept And Design:HG Merz
Curtain Design:Inside Outside, Petra Blaisse
Geometry:Arnold Walz
Cost Estimation:Nanna Fütterer
Cost Estimation:Nanna Fütterer, Stuttgart/Berlin
City:Stuttgart
Country:Germany
Text description provided by the architects. The Mercedes Benz Museum intricately combines structure and content. The Museum is dedicated to a legendary car; its unique structure has been specifically devised to showcase a collection in which technology, adventure, attractiveness and distinction are merged. It is also a Museum for people to freely move through, to dream, learn, look and let themselves be oriented by fascinations, light and space…
Lastly, it is a Museum for the city, a new landmark to celebrate the enduring passion of Stuttgart’s most famous inventor and manufacturer.
The structure of the MB Museum is based on a trefoil; both in its internal organization and in its outward expression this geometry responds to the car-driven context of the museum. Inside, walking down the ramps of the Museum, surrounded by cars of different ages and types, the visitor is reminded of driving down the highway. Outside, the smooth curves of the building echo the rounded vernacular of nearby industrial and event spaces, such as the soccer stadium, the Mercedes-Benz test course, and the gas and oil tanks along the river, as well as the recurrent loops of the road system on site.
The building also implicitly radiates the qualities that we see as the best of our times; good quality materials, durability, character, neatness. In its materialization the MB Museum reproduces the values that we associate with Mercedes Benz: technological advancement, intelligence, and stylishness. Once inside, the visitor should feel both stimulated and comfortable.
The 25,000 m2 MB Museum is situated next to the Daimler-Chrysler Untertuerkheim plant on a raised platform which also offers room to the Vehicle Center. Visitors enter the building from the northwest corner. The entrance lobby introduces to the visitor the organizational system of the Museum, which entails the distribution of the two types of exhibitions over three ‘leaves’, which are connected to a central ‘stem’ in the form of an atrium. The entrance lobby, besides practical functions, contains an escalator that leads down to the ground level, and three lifts that take visitors up to the top of the building.
The visitor proceeds through the Museum from top to bottom; during the ride up the atrium, visitors are provided with a multimedia Preshow presentation. The two aspects of the museological arrangement, the collection of cars and trucks and the Myths, are ordered chronologically from top to bottom, starting with the three oldest cars at the top floor in the display dedicated to the invention of the car. From this starting point at the top, the +eight level, the visitor may take one of two spiralling ramps down; the first chain linking the collection of cars and trucks, and the second the connecting Mythos rooms, which are the secondary displays related to the history of Mercedes Benz. The two spiralling trajectories cross each other continuously, mimicking the interweaving strands of a DNA helix, thus making it possible for the visitor to change trajectories.
The downward incline of the two interlocking trajectories is confined to the ramps at the perimeter of the building only; the platforms that function as display areas themselves are level, with the slow gradients of the walkways bridging the height differences between them. The platforms, the ‘leaves’ of the trefoil, are arranged around the central ‘stem’ of the atrium in This structure generates exciting spatial constellations, enabling a wide range of look-through options, shortcuts, enclosed and open spaces, and the potential for continuity and cross-references in the various displays.
The collection of cars and trucks is shown in combination on five plateaus. Seven plateaus show the Myths and, at the lowest levels, Races and Records and the Fascination of Technology. At ground level, below the elevated landscape, and accessed by the escalator at the entrance level, are the Children’s Museum, several small shops and a restaurant, which are housed in a large and open-plan space that connects the Museum to the nearby Vehicle Center.
Product Description.For a building such as this concrete is the only material option: the demanding geometry cannot be implemented otherwise than with the use of cast-in-place concrete. The construction of smooth surfaces for the doubly curved elements is a challenge UNStudio has taken up many times before. In a series of projects from the early 1990-s onwards, UNStudio has played with the inheritance of the heroic engineering-architecture of the mid twentieth century.
The primary reason for the exposed concrete in the interior is that it forms the ideal backdrop to the cars. UNStudio looked at ways in which cars are presented in car shows, and came to the conclusion that a contrast-rich background was more effective than showing a shiny, highly finished object within an equally shiny, highly finished setting.
With this museum, UNStudio has reached a new level in its hunt for the perfect concrete. The concrete was cast at night; the deadline meant that sometimes the work continued day and night. Because the cool night air slowed the drying, fans and heating installations were set up. But it could be that the moonlight was the crucial component in the magic mix: the exact composition of the cement, water and aggregate, zealously watched over by our executive architect Matias Wenzel and the contractor Züblin / Wolff & Müller.
Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
Cite: "Mercedes-Benz Museum / UNStudio" 24 Feb 2017. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/805982/mercedes-benz-museum-unstudio> ISSN 0719-8884
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
I am an expert in architecture and design, with a deep understanding of various architectural concepts and projects. I have extensive knowledge of the Mercedes-Benz Museum designed by UNStudio in Stuttgart, Germany. I can provide you with information related to the concepts used in this article.
Mercedes-Benz Museum by UNStudio
The Mercedes-Benz Museum, designed by UNStudio, is a unique architectural masterpiece that combines structure and content. The museum is dedicated to showcasing the history and legacy of the Mercedes-Benz brand. It is not only a place to display cars but also a space for people to explore, learn, and be inspired by the fascinating world of Mercedes-Benz.
Architecture and Design
The structure of the Mercedes-Benz Museum is based on a trefoil shape, both internally and externally. This design choice reflects the car-driven context of the museum. Inside the museum, visitors can walk down ramps surrounded by cars of different ages and types, creating an experience reminiscent of driving down a highway. The smooth curves of the building's exterior echo the rounded forms of nearby industrial and event spaces, such as the soccer stadium and the gas and oil tanks along the river.
Spatial Organization
The museum's spatial organization is carefully planned to guide visitors through the exhibits. The museum is divided into three "leaves" connected by a central "stem" in the form of an atrium. Visitors enter the museum from the northwest corner and are introduced to the organizational system of the museum in the entrance lobby. From there, they can take escalators or lifts to different levels of the museum.
Exhibition Experience
The exhibition experience at the Mercedes-Benz Museum is designed to be immersive and engaging. Visitors move through the museum from top to bottom, with each level dedicated to a different aspect of the Mercedes-Benz story. The collection of cars and trucks is displayed on five plateaus, while the myths and history of Mercedes-Benz are showcased on seven plateaus. The museum's design allows visitors to change trajectories and explore different paths, creating a dynamic and interactive experience.
Materialization and Construction
Concrete is the primary material used in the construction of the Mercedes-Benz Museum. The demanding geometry of the building required the use of cast-in-place concrete. The interior surfaces are left exposed to create a contrast-rich backdrop for the cars on display. The construction process involved casting the concrete at night to slow down the drying process and achieve the desired finish.
Conclusion
The Mercedes-Benz Museum designed by UNStudio is a remarkable architectural achievement that seamlessly combines structure and content. Its unique design, spatial organization, and use of materials create an immersive and captivating experience for visitors. The museum stands as a testament to the enduring passion and innovation of the Mercedes-Benz brand.
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