Groninger Museum

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Project Name: Groninger Museum
Construction year: 1994
Website: www.groningermuseum.nl
Address: Bezoekadres Museumeiland 19711 ME , GRONINGEN - Netherlands

Architect(s) : Alessandro Mendini (www.ateliermendini.it) | Coop Himmelb(l)au (www.coop-himmelblau.at)
Project Category: Cultural

Latitude: 53.2119
Longitude: 6.56556

Groninger Museum

Although not as well known as other Dutch institutions of fine art, the Groninger Museum was founded in 1894. The opening of its new building in 1994 caused a sensation and it has since established a reputation of being among the finest museums in the nation.

The radically modernist structures forming the Groninger Museum stand in a canal opposite a railway station consist of three main pavilions: a silver cylindrical building designed by Philippe Starck, a yellow tower by Alessandro Mendini, and a pale blue deconstructivist space by Coop Himmelb(l)au. A bridge that connects the museum to the train station is part of a cycling and walking path to the central city.

The architecture's futuristic and colourful style echos the Italian designs of the Memphis Group. Mendini, a former member of the firm who is noted for his furniture and industrial designs, was asked by museum director Frans Haks in 1987 to conceive the new museum. Haks wanted something extravagant and insisted on non-architects to create the conceptual studies. American artist Frank Stella was originally approached to design one of the pavilions, however, his plan turned-out to be too expensive because he wanted his structure completely built out of Teflon. The municipality then invited Coop Himmelb(l)au to replace him for the commission.

Contributed by ArchiTeam