A project realized for Kaneka Corporation at the Salone del Mobile 2013
Minimuseum is a set of luminous cubic frames that serves as lighting device and configurable display. The project is based on the idea to move the concept of a collection display from the museum space to everyday life.
The design motivates the playful combination of luminescent display cases: the resulting setup is both, an expansible lighting sculpture as well as a setting for precious or common objects that instantly become exhibits.
The project, conceived by Kuehn Malvezzi, a Berlin-based architectural firm specialized in museum spaces and collection displays, was commissioned by Kaneka, a Japanese producer of OLED lighting panels. Utilizing the technology to create a highlighted space, the design proposes an elegant device not only to illuminate things, but also to display their relations.
While Minimuseum resembles the idea of the museum’s white cube on a smaller scale, it does not create an intangible capsule but on the contrary invites interaction and change. As a result of the specifically developed contact disc and controller, electricity is safely transferred from one box to the other. Once additional elements are added to the set, their environment-friendly OLED displays illuminate and emit a very soft and yet bright light. During operation boxes can be rotated or interchanged in order to adjust the arrangement of light volumes.
The set of differently sized boxes can be read as a model for a museum building that can be adjusted to its content: the possibility to constantly change the configuration of the framing as well as the order of things during actual operation invites to rethink the relation of the objects.
Technical details The “knob” contact disc: The specifically developed contact disc detects whether another element is placed on top of the cube and transfers electricity safely from one display box to the next. The detail is designed as a distinctive feature - reminiscent of the knobs on a colourful modular brick toy - that sparks the intuitive handling of elements.
The pins: Spring contacts guarantee the constant connection between two cubes. While the OLED panels are in full operation, the boxes can be arranged and rotated around freely. The contacts are positioned in a slot which is cut into the base plate and takes in the knob-like contact disc.
The controller: Every element has an integrated controller in order to adjust the electricity for the different numbers of OLED panels in each cube. When stacked, only the lowest box needs to be plugged in and electricity is provided via the contact discs and specifically regulated by all display boxes. Yet each element can also be operated individually by a customary 24V power supply
Concept and design: Kuehn Malvezzi (Johannes Kuehn, Wilfried Kuehn, Simona Malvezzi, Samuel Korn) Technological development: Argos Messtechnik Realization and production: Kaneka Corporation, Kuehn Malvezzi, alpha Modellbau
Kuehn Malvezzi The architects Simona Malvezzi, Wilfried Kuehn and Johannes Kuehn founded KUEHN MALVEZZI in Berlin in 2001. Museum and exhibition design is the main focus of their work. They completed the architecture for the Documenta 11, the Flick Collection in the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin as well as the Julia Stoschek Collection in Duesseldorf. The office attaches importance to dealing sensitively with listed buildings (Lauder Business School) often in combination with the reorganisation of contemporary and historic art-collections as done for the Museum Belvedere, Vienna or the Liebieghaus, Frankfurt. Recently KUEHN MALVEZZI completed the extension for the Museum Berggruen in Berlin and currently plans the new-presentation of the collection of the Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum in Braunschweig and the Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin. Winning the special prize, KUEHN MALVEZZI’s competition entry for the Humboldt-Forum in Berlin attracted a lot of attention. Their substantial critical approach to reconstruction shown in this design was also awarded with the German critics’ prize 2009 in the category architecture. Their projects have been shown in international solo and group exhibitions, amongst others in the German Pavilion at the 10th Architecture Biennial in Venice 2006 and were nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award. In 2012 KUEHN MALVEZZI was invited to the main exhibition "Common Ground" at the 13th Architecture Biennale curated by David Chipperfield.
