Lenbachhaus, Munich

The Lenbachhaus Museum, housing the most important art collection in the historic city of Munich, has appointed Foster and Partners’ to expand, restore and renovate its Municipal Gallery. The proposal will seek to improve visitor facilities and accessibility, rationalise circulation and increase gallery space. Untouched since 1955, the gallery spaces will be sensitively re-organised and restored, and the antiquated services and technical installations will be replaced with state-of-the-art systems.

The sympathetic restoration of the building will maintain the unique character of the garden-fronting facades, while the building along Richard-Wagner Street will be transformed into an exhibition building fit for the 21st century, creating a lively dialogue between the old and new parts of the museum. The attic will be renovated to create additional space for exhibitions, providing a counterpart to the world-class permanent collection of ‘Blue Rider’, which includes important work donated to the museum by Gabriele Münter in 1957.

Accessibility has been a key driver in the scheme and a new foyer at the heart of the museum will create a visitor hub, which benefits from barrier-free access to all the gallery spaces. A new entrance will further improve connections within the gallery, and will also enhance a sense of openness for the wider community, allowing direct access to the café and conference room independently of the galleries. The museum will therefore be both a cultural centre, as well as an important new amenity for the city.

Client: Landtag des Freistaats Bayern