Joanneum visitors centre in Graz

A homogeneous open square spreads like a carpet between the historic museum buildings in the Joanneum quarter of Graz. Concealed beneath this space is the new visitors centre together with shop and auditorium as well as the reading room and archive of the Steiermark regional library. Inverted and truncated glass cones, apparently distributed at random, which perforate the square’s surfacing of coarse-grained granulate form the central element of the design. 

Architects:
Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos (Berlin), Fuensanta Nieto, Enrique Sobejano
eep architekten (Graz), Gerhard Eder, Christian Egger, Bernd Priesching

Location: Joanneumsviertel (Klachberggasse/Landhausgasse), A–8010 Graz

The conical glass funnels supply the rooms on the lower ground floor with natural lighting and create views upwards from a variety of perspectives. The changing moods of the weather can also be experienced at any time below ground, the facades of the surrounding historic buildings are reflected in continually changing perspectives in the inclined glass surfaces. At night, the glowing cones illuminate the newly-created urban space.

Here you can watch video impressions of the process of creating the redesigned Joanneum quarter with explanations and appraisals by the architects and client.