Maribor Art Gallery

Main approach:

The new Art Gallery Maribor is a self confident signal in the urban context of the City Center of Maribor. It combines high functionality, efficiency and expressive architectural language.

Referring to car- and aircraft design, architecture and high tech becomes in graphical and functional meaning, integral parts of the new Art Gallery.

The different institutions and functions of the tender are brought together under one “roof”, bounded by a rectangle in floor plan. Inside this outline, the different functional parts of the UGM-complex take place as independent units communicating with each other and the surrounding on different levels.

The new area, not only around the new art gallery, but also by the semi-public pathway through the entire complex, becomes an urban plaza, a new public and social focus with high attraction and an accelerator of the urban pulse.

By directed openings in the facade, special ambient qualities (Judment tower, river Drava, historical city center, etc…) are framed and become component parts of the new building.

Urban Concept:

As a visitor you can enter the building from two sides, from the river as well as from the square at the north side, integrating existing urban connections.
The main lines and the existing urban pattern are translated into the new buildings design, thus becoming an integral part of the the city of Maribor.
With an average height around 16,50 m above the ground, the building adapts to the surrounding and at the same time creating a new impressive landmark and urban focus.

The pattern of the new plaza/square is also applied on the river banks in front of the museum, on the semi-public walkway in the building, as well on the other surrounding areas, to define the new urban layout of the complex.

Above the main square towards north (study area B) a big park is proposed. This new municipal park should add numerous qualities to the city of Maribor and will contrast the high tech aspect of the building complex.

The connection to individual motorized traffic as well as the delivery takes place on the south-west of the building, at the corner Vojašniška ulica and Ribiška ulica.

The entrances of the individual car park and the delivery entrance are situated in the lower western corner of the building complex at the waterfront level. The car park and the delivery hall are also organised on this level (therefore no ramps for cars are needed in the building).

Secondary entrances to offices, library, lecture hall, café, restaurant, club, shop architectural centre and children’s museum are placed on all sides of the building, enabling a flexible and independent use of the different functions of the entire complex.

Internal Organisation/ Functionality:

The ground floor of the building contains most of the semi-public functions (Zone 2), the entrance halls, café, restaurant, club, library, lecture hall which all have separate entrances from the outside.

The main entrance hall is situated in the north of the building, containing the ticket/info-counter and the information centre of the European Cultural Capital 2012.

The Architectural Centre, which is also placed on the ground floor and the children’s museum (placed on the first floor) are sharing one separateable foyer, thus unifying one functional area. This foyer can be used independently from all other functions but also combined with the main entrance hall of the building.

In the middle of the building, as an extension of the main entrance hall, the main vertical element is situated: a canyon including the primary vertical communication, mainly to the exhibition rooms of the gallery, placed in the upper levels of the building complex.

A spacious stairs system and two elevators ensure easy public access to the exhibition rooms.

These exhibition spaces – the heart of the gallery - offer a maximum of flexibility and above that, due to the qualities of the circulation, variable visitor guidance.

The exhibition rooms work as an independent part of the building, linked directly to the main entrance hall.

The height of the exhibition rooms, the permanent as well the periodic ones is between 3 and 8 meters, thus allowing different arrangements of exhibitions.

The entire exhibition complex is organised on 5 levels, connected via a (barrier-free) ramp system.

The offices as well as the creative industries centre, the education centre and the apartments are situated in the western, separated part of the complex. It has its own access, and is linked with the rest of the complex on several levels.

From the transport hall, the art pieces will get transported, via the manipulation room, in a big freight elevator (5,5 x 3,5 m) to the basement level (height 4,5 m). In the basement, all depositories and workshops are situated. Another freight elevator (integrated in the main core) serves the exhibition rooms in the upper levels.

Materiality:

The entire building is constructed as reinforced concrete - and steel construction.

The windows/openings will get done by multiple glazing panels and the heat insulation by vacuum isolation panels, ensuring energy efficiency of the complex.
The building is covered by white ceramic-tiles with black seams, underlining the aimed high-tech appearance.

The urban plaza is covered by stone tiles. Additional “light plates“ are integrated in the floor, ensuring illumination of the entire area of the UGM.