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UNStudio
Mercedes-Benz Museum
Stuttgart, Germany

“The building twists and turns around you like a sculpture full of contrapposto; now you see things and people, now you don’t.”
Ben van Berkel

Photo: Christian Richters

The new Mercedes-Benz Museum, located next to highway B14 at the entrance of Stuttgart, contains exhibition space for the historical collection of Mercedes-Benz, which consists of 160 cars, as well as a museum shop, a restaurant, offices and a sky lobby.

Photo: Christian Richters

Visitors proceed through the museum from top to bottom. During the ride up the atrium, in one of the three elevators, visitors are shown a multimedia preshow presentation. The elevators are like capsules with only a large slit at eye-level through which the visitor sees images of the history of Mercedes-Benz projected on the walls of the atrium.

Photo: Christian Richters

From the starting point at the top, the +eight level, the visitor may take one of the two spiralling ramps down; the first chain-linking the connecting Legend rooms, which are the secondary displays related to the history of Mercedes-Benz, the second the collection of cars and trucks.
The two trajectories cross each other continuously, mimicking the interweaving strands of a DNA helix, and making it possible for visitors to change trajectories.

Photo: Christian Richters

The two types of museum spaces have diametrically opposed characters. The Legend rooms are sheltered and artificially lit like theatrical spaces. Entering them is like entering a stage.

The Collection rooms are exposed and day-lit, surrounded by huge, panoramic windows. The two aspects of the collection, the cars and the trucks are organized thematically starting with the two oldest cars at the top floor in the display dedicated to the invention of the car.

Photo: Christian Richters

The Legends are arranged in a chronological way. But this chronology is not rigid; the visitor is free to cross time zones. Wayfinding and orientation are intuitive and individual; the organisation offers a rational framework, which the visitor is free to follow or to deviate from when attracted by a specific display or program feature.“The structure of the Mercedes-Benz Museum is based on a trefoil. The cloverleaf structure mathematically consists of three overlapping circles, of which the centre becomes a void forming a triangular atrium The semi-circular floors rotate around the central atrium forming horizontal plateaus which alternate between double and single heights.
It is spatially complex; you can not see the trefoil from the museum. By using the strong design model we were able to organise ideas of infrastructure, exhibition spaces, programme and even structure. We looked at ideas of how, by moving through the chronologically ordered exhibition spaces from top to bottom, visitors follow the edge line of the building like a time machine. The line you follow becomes a wall then a ceiling and then a space, blurring the distinction between line, surface and volume.”
Ben van Berkel

Photo courtesy UNStudio

Sketch courtesy UNStudio

Photo courtesy UNStudio

UNStudio van Berkel & Bos were awarded First prize in the architectural competition in September, 2003.

Completed: May 2006
Total area: Approx. 53,000 square meters
Floor space: 4,800 square meters
Exhibition space: 16,500 square meters

Photographed by Christian Richters

Mercedes-Benz Museum

Client: Daimler Chrysler Immobolien (DCI)
Architects:
Design: UNStudio
Ben van Berkel
Caroline Bos
Tobias Wallisser
Realisation: UNStudio with Wenzel + Wenzel,
Structure: Werner Sobek Ingenieure
Geometry: Arnold Walz
Climate engineering: Transsolar Energietechnik

Book
UNStudio : Design Models
Architecture, Urbanism, Infrastructure
By Ben Van Berkel & Caroline Bos
Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Design Models is the complete monograph of UNStudio’s output. The book begins with an essay that sets out the principles of their ‘design models’, five conceptual methods that serve as the point of departure for their broad array of project types.

Check the price at amazon.com

European customers click here:

Check the price at amazon.co.uk

UNStudio arcspace features

June 12, 2006





				Features
		UNStudio Mercedes-Benz Museum Stuttgart, Germany “The building twists and turns around you like a sculpture full of contrapposto; now you see things and people, now you don’t.” Ben van Berkel Photo: Christian Richters The new Mercedes-Benz Museum, located next to highway B14 at the entrance of Stuttgart, contains exhibition space for the historical collection of Mercedes-Benz, which consists of 160 cars, as well as a museum shop, a restaurant, offices and a sky lobby. Photo: Christian Richters Photo: Christian Richters Photo: Christian Richters Photo: Christian Richters Photo: Christian Richters Photo: Christian Richters Visitors proceed through the museum from top to bottom. During the ride up the atrium, in one of the three elevators, visitors are shown a multimedia preshow presentation. The elevators are like capsules with only a large slit at eye-level through which the visitor sees images of the history of Mercedes-Benz projected on the walls of the atrium. Photo: Christian Richters Photo: Christian Richters Photo: Christian Richters From the starting point at the top, the +eight level, the visitor may take one of the two spiralling ramps down; the first chain-linking the connecting Legend rooms, which are the secondary displays related to the history of Mercedes-Benz, the second the collection of cars and trucks. The two trajectories cross each other continuously, mimicking the interweaving strands of a DNA helix, and making it possible for visitors to change trajectories. Photo: Christian Richters Photo: Christian Richters The two types of museum spaces have diametrically opposed characters. The Legend rooms are sheltered and artificially lit like theatrical spaces. Entering them is like entering a stage. The Collection rooms are exposed and day-lit, surrounded by huge, panoramic windows. The two aspects of the collection, the cars and the trucks are organized thematically starting with the two oldest cars at the top floor in the display dedicated to the invention of the car. Photo: Christian Richters Photo: Christian Richters Photo: Christian Richters Photo: Christian Richters The Legends are arranged in a chronological way. But this chronology is not rigid; the visitor is free to cross time zones. Wayfinding and orientation are intuitive and individual; the organisation offers a rational framework, which the visitor is free to follow or to deviate from when attracted by a specific display or program feature.“The structure of the Mercedes-Benz Museum is based on a trefoil. The cloverleaf structure mathematically consists of three overlapping circles, of which the centre becomes a void forming a triangular atrium The semi-circular floors rotate around the central atrium forming horizontal plateaus which alternate between double and single heights. It is spatially complex; you can not see the trefoil from the museum. By using the strong design model we were able to organise ideas of infrastructure, exhibition spaces, programme and even structure. We looked at ideas of how, by moving through the chronologically ordered exhibition spaces from top to bottom, visitors follow the edge line of the building like a time machine. The line you follow becomes a wall then a ceiling and then a space, blurring the distinction between line, surface and volume.” Ben van Berkel Photo courtesy UNStudio Photo courtesy UNStudio Sketch courtesy UNStudio Photo courtesy UNStudio UNStudio van Berkel & Bos were awarded First prize in the architectural competition in September, 2003. Completed: May 2006 Total area: Approx. 53,000 square meters Floor space: 4,800 square meters Exhibition space: 16,500 square meters Photographed by Christian Richters Mercedes-Benz Museum Client: Daimler Chrysler Immobolien (DCI) Architects: Design: UNStudio Ben van Berkel Caroline Bos Tobias Wallisser Realisation: UNStudio with Wenzel + Wenzel, Structure: Werner Sobek Ingenieure Geometry: Arnold Walz Climate engineering: Transsolar Energietechnik Book UNStudio : Design Models Architecture, Urbanism, Infrastructure By Ben Van Berkel & Caroline Bos Publisher: Thames & Hudson Design Models is the complete monograph of UNStudio’s output. The book begins with an essay that sets out the principles of their ‘design models’, five conceptual methods that serve as the point of departure for their broad array of project types. Check the price at amazon.com European customers click here: Check the price at amazon.co.uk UNStudio arcspace features June 12, 2006