Stephan Braunfels - Pinakothek der Moderne: Art, Architecture, Design

In the immediate vicinity of the Old and New Pinakothek, Munich's famous art galleries, one of the most interesting museum buildings of the present day is being built - Pinakothek der Moderne. Attractively located in the heart of Munich, it will house four significant museums: the State Gallery of Modern Art, the New Collection of Graphic Art. The Pinakothek der Moderne will no doubt become an international center for art, architecture and design of the 20th and 21st centuries.

The architecture of such a key building has to respond to a variety of demands and needs. A rotunda with dome together with a 100m long staircase, and striking interiors provide the central point for all four museums. A highly sculptured object in its exterior appearance, the building still succeeds in blending into the city environs. This attractive and detailed documentation of the new museum also responds to a fundamental question which emerges from such projects: should the architecture of a museum recede into the background, to give the art precedence, or should a new museum be a work of art in itself?