Bonn culture Beethoven House Museum to be revamped
Bonn · Swiss architects are to redesign the Bonn museum’s permanent exhibition in time for the 2020 celebrations for the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth.
The Bonn Beethoven House has cleared an important hurdle for the planned redesigning of its permanent exhibition with the close of a Europe-wide competition. The Beethoven House said on Friday that the contract for the redesign had been awarded to Holzer Kobler Architects, who are based in Zurich and Berlin. The Swiss architects count the permanent exhibition at the Buchenwald memorial and the exhibition at the new Grimm World on the Kassel Weinberg among their most recent projects.
“The aim is to present and project Beethoven by 2020 at the latest in a contemporary way in an expanded museum,” said Malte Boecker, Director of the Beethoven House in Friday’s announcement. The contract is an exciting challenge for architect Barbara Holzer, who said: “The life and work of a unique figure in the arts will be presented in the new permanent exhibition. Ludwig van Beethoven’s pioneering achievements remain unchangingly relevant to today’s public.
The decision for Holzer Kobler was apparently unanimous
The Beethoven House itself has a special significance as an authentic site; cultural and musical history with an international dimension will come alive locally here.” Holzer Kobler Architects’ design came out on top against 19 competing firms. The decision for Holzer Kobler was apparently unanimous. Jury member Philipp Teufel praised the compelling balance between a sensitive handling of the heritage-listed architecture and a forward-looking presentation of the historical items in the collection.
The project will apparently cost an estimated three million Euros. A large part will be financed by the federal government and North Rhine Westphalia. The remainder will be provided by the Beethoven House foundation. Boecker said: “We are looking for donors, benefactors and sponsors to become involved with us in the contemporary presentation and projection of Beethoven in the museum. The Beethoven House is Bonn’s visiting card for culturally engaged people from all over the world.”
The announcement said that besides the redesign of the permanent exhibition and a separate area for special exhibitions, the museum is to increase in size. Three levels of the building opposite at Bonngasse 21 are to be used. There will be a larger museum shop with a small café and additional seminar rooms.
Original text: ht. Translated by Kate Carey.
