Art Depot

This new 4-story building was designed as a fine art storage facility. In addition to the main function, the preservation of art and cultural assets, there are also rooms for collection care and exhibition preparation. It is the new home for the “art treasures” of several local institutions: the Mathildenhöhe Institute, Darmstadt City Archives, the International Music Institute, the Jazz Institute, and the State of Hesse.

Large objects, paintings, small sculptures, graphics and paper, as well as files, photographic and film material are stored here. The facade is designed by a material combination of ceramics and plaster. This material selection was inspired by the buildings of the Darmstadt Artists‘ Colony in Mathildenhöhe.

The first floor houses the large object depot as well as the facilities support spaces such as receiving, restoration and archiving. The upper floors function exclusively as storage areas for the objects. Museum-quality climate conditioning is achieved through a high performance building envelope. The building is constructed to passive house standards with energy efficient mechanical systems. A photovoltaic array on the roof generates on-site renewable energy. A green wall on the south elevation serves as a climatic buffer zone, makes a positive contribution to biodiversity and improves air quality in the area.

LOCATION: DARMSTADT, GERMANY
COMPLETED: 2023
PHOTOGRAPHY: JEAN-LUC VALENTIN, MATTHIAS OTT, SASCHA RHEKER, KATHARINA HERZOG