The 2,100 m2 (22,500 square feet) exhibition area of the new Museum of Art Lucerne is on the fourth floor of the Lucerne Culture and Congress Centre (KKL) – right under the big roof, above the Lucerne Hall and the Conference spaces. This situation, unusual for a museum, means that almost all the exhibition halls can be supplied with daylight from above.
The Museum essentially consists of two large trussless roofs, divided up according to a strict grid by plaster partition walls. This concept was developed in collaboration with artist Rémy Zaugg.
The present division of the space produces rows of a total of 19 rooms measuring 10.5 x 6.5 m, 13 x 10.5 m and 26 x 10.5 m, with a ceiling height of 5.5 m. The passages between the individual spaces, with an area of 1.4 x 2.2 m, are unusually small – Jean Nouvel's intention was to create a succinct impression of enclosure in the spaces. Large paintings are moved through tall, narrow picture-doors.
The extraordinary abstraction of the Museum spaces – dark grey floor of polished concrete, white walls, illuminated ceiling – corresponds to the desire of the museum staff who were responsible for planning at the time, and who wanted to ensure the predominance of the art works over the architecture... more
