Museums Quarter Starnberg

The new buildings continue the tradition of wooden and stone farmhouses and fishermen’s houses. A perimeter quarry stone wall on the first floor shapes the new topography of the site and forms the base for the saddle-roofed wooden houses. The simply structured buildings provide a flexible and sustainable framework for a variety of uses. In contrast to the historic neighboring buildings, they enter into great relationships with their surroundings: wide overhanging roofs, great transparency, and the preceding balcony and portico layers dovetail the buildings with the outdoor space.

The relationship of the Museum Quarter to Lake Starnberg is manifested on the one hand by the silhouette of the new buildings that characterizes the location. When viewed from the lake, the townscape of Starnberg has so far been dominated by the castle and the church of St. Josef. The new museum quarter expands this image with a new important cultural building block. The two new buildings are a well-balanced ensemble. Conversely, the view from the quarter to the lake was decisive for the design. A terrace opening onto the lake is established between the two new buildings – an important extension of the public space that relates the city across the railroad embankment to the lake.

Coming from the train station, the pedestrian is led to the lake terrace by the large flight of steps. Along the café́ and retail facades, the arcades lead the visitor into the depths of the area, from where he is led directly to the tranquil square between the museum buildings. From here, the paths to the museum buildings and to the exits from the quarter connect like windmills.