New Bauhaus Museum: Location Analysis

The master plan of the Klassik Stiftung consciously does not suggest a location for the new Bauhaus Museum, because it is its task to state the conceptual basis of the museum, which is prerequisite to the choice of the location. However, in this conceptual phase, it is already clear that the architecture of the museum and its urban integration is of basic importance because of its conceptual nature. Weimar is – although this is often overlooked – a complete monument of architecture from the Renaissance to the present day. At the same time, there is hardly another city in Germany that was influenced to such a large extent by the architectural evidence of the period between 1930 and 1945. Even if this evidence, which extends far beyond the Gauforum, is not manifested in everyday consciousness, the atmospheric significance that it emanates should not be underestimated. Obviously the years that followed the reunification have brought good and distinctive examples of modern architecture into the centre of Weimar: the Neue Weimarhalle, the Library of the Bauhaus University Weimar, the Study Centre of the Herzogin Anna Amalia Library, to name only a few. However, a programmatic statement, as it is intended for the new Bauhaus Museum, could not be made from an urban building perspective.

But that must be important in the city of Weimar – and this will also be a central question in determining the location of the museum. Just as important as the choice of the location is the selection of the architect who will be able to solve this task of national importance. The urban integration of the Bauhaus Museum and the challenge in an architectural sense associated with this task, apart from functional requirements, belong to the conceptual basis of the plans. If there is one single architectural challenge that can only be successfully mastered by demanding the highest quality of design, it is the planning of a new Bauhaus Museum for Weimar.

More information (in German and English) and the Master Plan »Cosmos Weimar« at Klassik Stiftung Weimar