Landau Kindelbacher Architekten Innenarchitekten
Besucher- und Informationszentrum UNESCO Weltnaturerbe Grube Messel
Description
The stratification of the oil shale as a genius loci forms the basic idea of the building design. Like a clod of earth, the building breaks away from the existing angular retaining wall and, with its significant monolithic wall panels, is oriented towards the pit. This movement culminates in the overhanging observation platform. The visitor symbolically wanders through the Earth’s strata and enters a unique spatial structure that offers no analogy to conventional building types. The building itself is perfectly tailored to the exhibition with its specific requirements. The various exhibition rooms prepare the visitor for the subject matter on which they are focused. This is achieved by simple but effective architectural means such as confinement and expanse, light and dark effects, high and low ceilings. The materials that were chosen were consciously sober and restrained to avoid interaction with changing scenographic installations.