Architecture

Art Museum Strongoli by Coop Himmelb(l)au

Megan Wilton

27 March 2009

Austrian architects Coop Himmelb(l)au have been commissioned to design the new Art Museum Strongoli in Calabria, Italy.

The museum is to be built on top of the Motta Grande overlooking the city.

Here’s some text from the architects:

The new Art Museum Strongoli in Calabria is the third COOP HIMMELB(L)AU project in Italy. The museum is not only a cultural center but also understood as a generator for a future development of Calabria, a place for cultural entertainment and recreation.

The Art Museum is situated on the top of the “Motta Grande” hill in front of the city, visible from far away. The new museum houses not only flexible exhibition spaces, but also a small “multi-hall” and a panorama restaurant.

The project is a composition of three main elements: the emblematic, cone-shaped construction with the entrance is orientated towards the city, while the cantilevering restaurant at the opposite end of the building offers a panoramic terrace facing the sea in the east. Both public attractors are linked by a two-storey exhibition volume.

The exhibition areas are determined to be as flexible as possible, supported by underground service facilities accessed via two elevators. The multi-hall can be used as temporary exhibition space, lecture hall, auditorium and cinema or simply as an extension space of the foyer for public events.