Richard Meier: Museum Frieder Burda

Following his Getty Center in Los Angeles and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona, celebrated American architect Richard Meier (born 1934) has created another stunning example of museum architecture. Full of light, the Sammlung Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden sits alongside the Staatliche Kunsthalle, and the two are linked via glass bridge. In contrast to the neo-classical Kunsthalle, Sammlung Frieder Burda has the air of a California mansion, distinguished by its elegance, transparency and openness. Set on the city's historic Lichtentaler Allee park and arboretum, the building is referred to by many--including its architect--as the "jewel in the park." This newly revised assessment of the project charts the museum from its early phases to completion through numerous sketches, plans and photographs. The book also features essays by art historians and architecture critics that expand upon the structure, its function and its location.