Opening of the Zentrale Kunstdepot in Freiburg
After 16 months of construction, the new Zentrale Kunstdepot (central art storage building) in Freiburg im Breisgau was handed over to its users during an official ceremony on 3rd May 2012. The collections of the city museums, of various foundations and of the archdiocese - a total of 200.000 artworks with an estimated value of ca. 250 million EUR - will be stored in the new building which cost around 7 million EUR (including photovoltaic equipment).
After 16 months of construction, the new Zentrale Kunstdepot (central art storage building) in Freiburg im Breisgau was handed over to its users during an official ceremony on 3rd May 2012. The collections of the city museums, of various foundations and of the archdiocese - a total of 200.000 artworks with an estimated value of ca. 250 million EUR - will be stored in the new building which cost around 7 million EUR (including photovoltaic equipment).
The new 2-floor building with around 5.100 m² of usable space was built in the Hochdorf district according to a passive building design by the Freiburg architects Pfeifer Kuhn. To protect its sensitive contents, the building has practically no windows. Beneath an outer shell of polycarbonate, fiber cement and timber, sophisticated building equipment together with a load-bearing structure made of sand-lime masonry and reinforced concrete guarantee the climatic conditions that are vital for the artworks.
Reconciling the security requirements with passive building standards was one of the greatest challenges during the planning process. To protect the stored artworks, special attention also had to be paid to the quality of sealing and insulation during execution. Photovoltaic equipment was installed on the southern side of the inclined roof.
Mayor Dr. Dieter Salomon emphasized the cost-effectiveness of the building in terms of both construction and running costs. The project was completed within the planned time and cost frameworks. It serves as a model and will soon become a “place of pilgrimage” for planners of similar buildings. It represents sustainability in two ways: not only through its sustainable construction, but also in the sense of conserving the artworks.
Mayor for Culture Ulrich von Kirchbach thanked all those involved in the project and especially those involved in construction supervision for ensuring correct and on-schedule completion.
KREBS+KIEFER was responsible for project supervision (construction supervision), project documentation and checking the construction specifications on behalf of the city-owned development company Freiburger Stadtbau GmbH (FSB).
