“The Zikkurat Kunsthaus Weltkulturen Museum in Frankfurt aims to enhance its ancient artefacts by moulding them around a wider sensory experience and looking back to the beginnings of human civilisation. Located in a park next to the river Main, the museum brags a lively roof terrace and cafe that maintains the public space while resembling the ziggurats of ancient Mesopotamia that sat between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. A visitor’s experience of the museum begins as they enter the park and a route through the exhibition spaces takes the visitor step by step from the bright natural light outdoors to a dark, atmospheric space underground and back again. Daylight fades progressively through the exhibition spaces, resulting in an intense journey through human cultures, culminating in a dramatic reintroduction to daylight under a large circular skylight. A stone ramp leads the way, making the museum experience equal for all visitors whether they are able-bodied or not. The selected materials (glue-laminated timber, rammed earth, stone, concrete, and glass) all have an extremely rich history in human civilisations across the globe, complementing the artefacts within. An entirely glazed north facade allows the museum to feel part of the public park and connecting it to the existing Weltkulturen Museum building on the riverside. The Zikkurat Kunsthaus is a much needed addition to the collection of museums in the city of Frankfurt.
joseph.chrisp2@gmail.com – Portfolio and CV available upon request
Gallery
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