Weltmuseum Wien

INTERACTION AND DIALOGUE

Weltmuseum Wien – one of the world‘s most important ethnographic museums – was completely redeveloped. In 2013, the consortium formed by Hoskins Architects and Ralph Appelbaum Associates won the international design competition. Vasko+Partner supported them as a subcontractor in the design stage providing lighting and media equipment planning as well as drawings, specifications, and documentation for building permission application and in the process of liaising with the authorities. In addition to that, Vasko+Partner was in charge of the MEP design, tendering, and construction site supervision. The biggest challenge the construction site supervision team faced was to coordinate more than 20 different trades in a historically highly sensitive building – always with an eye to a well-ordered, goal-oriented construction process and the ambitious time frame. Moreover, the remodelling work was carried out against the backdrop of the conflicting interests of the museum as a listed building and modern building services demands. The alteration measures were implemented in strict compliance with the requirements and in constant consultation with the Federal Office for the Protection of Monuments (BDA).

CHALLENGING EXHIBITION TECHNOLOGY

Thanks to the building services equipment and the exhibition technology in place, the visitor experiences the highlights of the collection interactively. When the museum opened its doors to the public for the first time after completion of the refurbishment, Steven Engelsman, its director, was enthralled, `Hoskins Architects Glasgow-Berlin and Ralph Appelbaum Associates New York-Berlin, supported by Vasko+Partner, have done a superb design and planning job in a short period of time. The Corps de Logis of the Neue Burg part of the Hofburg Palace – and, in particular, the two mezzanine levels – have been transformed into the outstandingly beautiful Weltmuseum Wien. The Museum is a place in which cultural appreciation is not just a word and where new perspectives on culture, history, and tradition are made possible.´