Hombroich Spaceplacelab: the post-military context

[digdoi]

On October 7, the Center for Architecture unveils Field Experiments in art-architecture-landscape: Hombroich spaceplacelab, an exhibition that examines the conversion of a former NATO base on a patch of land known as Hombroich, near Cologne, Germany, into a utopia for art and architecture. Decommissioned in 1990, just after German reunification, the former missile base has been occupied since 1995 by the arts nonprofit the Insel Hombroich Foundation, started by art collector Karl-Heinrich Müller. With echoes of Marfa, Texas—the remote military-base-turned-art-preserve conceived in 1979 by Donald Judd— Insel Hombroich will see to the transformation of 650 acres of rolling green fields into a showcase of works by artists and architects, including Álvaro Siza, Shigeru Ban, Frei Otto, and Tadao Ando.

Full article on the ARCHITECT'S NEWSPAPER (http://www.archpaper.com/feature_articles/16_05_post_military.html)

[PeterE]

:no no no: 0
To me there is something creepy about these parks as museums for architecture. I like buildings part of our everyday life and environment, not isolated from it like some sort of precious object.

[sigue2000]

I missed this post completely! This place is not far from where I live and I've been there a few times.
It's more than an architecture museum. The idea is of a park with big art filled architectonic sculptures. They were mostly done by the sculptor Erwin Heerich. The rocket base is a second part of the museum with inhabited structures and a few ateliers for visiting artists. The entrance fee is €15 per person, but you can roam freely, collect chestnuts (my daughter loves that part), have as much lunch as you want in one of the pavillions and see a lot of diversely collected artworks. The works have no labels, so you need a catalogue if you want to know what your seeing. The idea is to be unbiased in your reception of the art. When there, you might bump into one of the artists working, which is also worth the visit. There is a very nice kindergarten on the premesis, completely in wood, also worth seeing.
If you are in the vicinity of Duesseldorf, try spending a day there, it's worth it.

More Links:

LAVA (http://www.aidem-media.com/lava/gallery/museums/heerich/hombr/)
German Site of the Park/Museum (http://www.inselhombroich.de/)
Ando's Langen Foundation Building (http://www.langenfoundation.de/phpwcms/)