Museum in Neumarkt

550 kilos in weight, bright red and motor-driven: the door to the Lothar Fischer Museum in Neumarkt in the Upper Palatinate is a feature that can be recognized from a considerable distance when it is closed; when it is open it invites visitors in the porch area of the art gallery. The entrance looks like a great red square as a result of its dimensions, 3.7 metres high and 3 metres wide, with a control box next to it containing a flush bell, loudspeaker and letterbox. A power anchor holds the door at the upper end, the motor is concealed in the floor in the turning axis. The door was brought to the building site by crane, hence two internal threads for ring bolts on the top. The structure is made up of hollow aluminium sections covered with coloured aluminium sheeting. There are also colour accents in the same shade of red inside the museum. But anything directly associated with the works of art is as austere and reduced as possible, thus in its reticent way creating a calm atmosphere for the exhibits. The walls are clad with a white hand paste, polished and varnished, and are built out to conceal the necessary installations. This means that no false ceilings are needed. Ventilation slits are camouflaged as shadow lines between wall and ceiling. The surface of the grey floor, with no joints or thresholds, seems three-dimensional, as though it is floating through the building. The coating was applied on a cement base in several layers with a trowel, and is very easy to maintain. Bored piles were needed because of the problematical subsoil, so geothermal energy can be used. The artist’s requirements were unusual: no evenly lit rooms, but differentiated lighting to enhance the effect of his sculptures. Work with models led to this slightly encapsulated building, with grey showcases breaking through the front and rear façades. These and the large areas of glass at the sides provide views of the surrounding area like the palace pool or the nearby municipal park, but also give a glimpse of life inside the museum. The clear floor plan makes it easy to get one‘s bearings.