The art dealership was one of Munich’s first buildings to be built using fair-faced concrete. The facade was designed in light grey roughcast cement and the interiors designed in unobtrusive colors. Light monochrome linoleum flooring and fabric coverings on the walls of the showrooms, in black, beige and dark red, offered a consistent background for the artworks. Interior doors and passageways were in mahogany veneer, with window frames were glazed to match. The window sashes were finished in white to provide contrast. The goal of the renovation was to integrate historical references to past use and materials, and to interpret these in a contemporary way. Original elements were to be retained and new ones shown as contemporary supplements; any elements now missing were not to be reconstructed. The floor covering used in the reading rooms was a light beige linoleum that can also be found on the U-shaped tables. Their edges and inner surfaces were finished in walnut veneer. This provided a reference to the natural wood edging used in the original design. At the same time, the tables seamlessly merge with the floor to become part of the space rather than dominate it. This is also meant to serve as an allusion to the former use as a gallery consisting primarily of unfurnished rooms. “A very important detail in the execution of the table finishes was to ensure that the linoleum was not bordered in trim but was instead miter-cut to meet the pedestal. The transition from the horizontal to the vertical linoleum surface was mitered as well. Achieving the effect of flooring and table as an uninterrupted whole was only possible through this exact detailing,” Markus Schmitt, an architect with the State Construction Authority in Munich, points out. To achieve a continuum between the table and floor finishes, the linoleum used on the reading tables was not Desktop brand furniture linoleum but Walton Uni flooring instead.
Project Spotlight
Product Spotlight
News
Nokha Village Community Centre by Sanjay Puri Architects is an architectural oasis in the desert
Mumbai-based Sanjay Puri Architects has completed the Nokha Village Community Centre, an architectur... More
Square and Tourist Office: Emerging finalist in Mies van der Rohe Awards 2024
In this Archello series, we look at each of the seven nominated projects (five architecture finalist... More
25 best mosaic wall tile manufacturers
Mosaic wall tiles are produced in an enormous range of colors, shapes and finishes, and from a varie... More
Introducing Partner Motion Facades
Motion Facades specializes in supplying advanced facade systems for luxury real estate projects. Its... More
Bergendy Cooke, Grégoire Du Pasquier, Ruth Baleiko and Mathew Albores join Archello Awards 2024 jury panel
Architects Bergendy Cooke, Grégoire Du Pasquier, Ruth Baleiko and Mathew Albores have been an... More
JSWD completes new office complex in Bonn unified by triangular facade elements
International architectural firm JSWD has completed the Neuer Kanzlerplatz office complex in the cit... More
Archello Awards 2024 expands with 'Firm Awards'
Today Archello introduces a new set of Firm Awards categories to widen the scope of the Archello Awa... More
Studio Egret West develops plans for new Passivhaus homes
London-based multidisciplinary architecture and design practice Studio Egret West has developed plan... More