MERCEDES-BENZ MUSEUM

UN STUDIO

RYAN SCHWARTZ
INDEX

FORM ............................................................................ 2
BODY ..............................................................................8
TECHNIQUE ................................................................11
SPACE ..........................................................................14
2
FORM

3
In the heart of Stuttgart, Germany stands a beacon of This flowing design was inspired by the trefoil, which
exemplary automotive engineering, proudly housed in an equally consists of three loops continuously returning into themselves. The
impressive museum. The Mercedes-Benz Museum by UN Studio celebrated Mercedes-Benz symbol bears a strong resemblance to
is unique in that it showcases a static collection of specific vehicles the original design inspiration, though UN Studio accounts this to
- rather than an accumulation of various works of art, pieces pure coincidence.
of cultural or historical significance, scientific curiosities or other This was undoubtedly not a mistake however, as the design
exhibits typical of museums. competition aimed to create a building iconic of the luxury car
The building itself embodies and reflects many characteristics brand – a fact that UN Studio took full advantage of.
of the legendary automobiles that it holds, and becomes itself a
monument to fluidity and mobility.

Form in Motion

This simple design pattern evolved from line, to surface,

to a final complex volume.
Major axes and dimensions were fixed early, and all
subsequent geometry was parametrically constructed.

3
Architects Ben van Berkel and Museums of late pushed their The Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin by
Caroline Bos attempted to create a ‘twist’ respective boundaries in regards to form, Mies van der Rohe provided unobstructed
on the museum typology by harnessing but this project became an sum of the routes, allowing patrons to choose their
the incredibly specific programmatic best features used in the past. own paths. The double helices in this case
individuality of this building. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim were meshed in such a way as to allow
As a museum centred on Museum in New York was pioneering in various combinations of specified routes,
automobility, they focused much of their its use of a prescribed spiral circulation adapting the form to keep this function.
attention on the ambulatory circulation system. UN Studio inverted and doubled
system within the building which began to this system into intertwining helices with
dictate the overall form. two main narrative scripts.

UN STUDIO
1988
Vehicle Sales
Varying Trajectories

Mercedes-Benz
1926

Benz Daimler UN Studio Projects

1886 1901

1886 2012
WWI WWII

The union of UN Studio with Mercedes-Benz

was well timed, given the climaxing success
of both companies.
1959 1968 1977 2006

In a similar fashion to the Centre Pompidou in Paris, this circulatory space becomes celebrated. Unlike Paris which segregates these
circulation spaces from the gallery however, the two become so enmeshed that it becomes difficult to distinguish one from the other.

4
Combining these factors with the reversal of ambulation through Ambulation
the space (where patrons enter the building, immediately ride an elevator
to the top floor, and begin their descent) a distinct typological form
was created, applauded, and subsequently copied by others shortly
thereafter.
Throughout the nine levels of exhibits there are no closed rooms
and no straight walls. This encourages the smooth, flowing continuity of

Plan
overlapping exhibits which are based on along a narrative timeline (thereby
having no abrupt starts and stops) - all coexisting simultaneously along a
blurred continuum.

Start

The unending loops of a trefoil translate directly into the spatial

arrangement of displays within the museum.

Axonometric

Finish

5
Narrated Choice

Narrowing Focus
Over 100 Years of History in 4-6 Hours of Exploration

EXHIBIT EXHIBIT

EXHIBIT EXHIBIT
4 HOURS

This continuity was masterfully Through folding, curving, and the

accentuated by the deliberate removal of removal of colour, the architects were
focal points that distract the viewers’ eye able to allow the cars on display to
away from the exhibits. These include consume the entire focus and attention of
angular corners where walls meet the the viewer, while the visual distractions of
floor, ceiling, other walls, or the intense the formal structure begin to fade quietly
use of colour. into the background.

The enmeshed double helices

used as both display and circulatory
space allow for a directional narrative, but
also allow patrons to have choice in their
route of exploration.

6
Mirrored Projection
Though never explicitly stated by UN Studio architects, the materiality
and aesthetics of the museum bear striking resemblance to the formal
qualities of the modern automobile, especially those of Mercedes-
Benz. The projection of car onto building allows the two to mirror one
another, strengthening their symbolic relationship.

Iconic

.
360 Ribbons of Glass

Subtle Curves

Hard Lines

Colour Scheme

Grill Elements

Glowing Lights

7
BODY

8
Plane & Pace UN Studio used the ramping
helices as a subtle form of influence
on the body. The dynamic between
horizontal and gently descending floor
planes acts as a subconscious clue to
visitors exploring the museum.
The oblique floor planes were
meant to stimulate the mobility of
Periodic Choice people walking and are used as
transition areas between exhibits,
whereas exhibits are housed on more
static traditional surfaces, causing
Elevation visitors to slow their pace.
This is further augmented by
strategic use of the curving and folding
walls and the periodic choice of route
Pace
that must be made.

Many Cars, Many Angles The lack of intense colour In a sense, this allows the user
and visual way-finding landmarks in to focus more intensely on the exhibits,
combination with a melding of levels while also allowing people to view the
and continual rotation easily plays various cars from a variety of angles
tricks visitors. Sense of direction and and heights as they pass by (not only
elevation are soon thwarted by means horizontally but vertically), making the
of the rhythmic circulatory paths. cars seem less static..

9
Conditioned Sensory Experience
As a building dedicated to a These approaches, although
vehicular time-line, one can begin to appropriate in some instances, were
appreciate the subtle approach taken not suitable for this program.
to ensure its adherence to this peculiar UN Studio was able to
program. cleverly condition the interaction and
As previously examined, experience provided by the museum
museum typologies often consist of to the visitors, in a fashion that mimics
a singular open plan where users the rhythmic ebb and flow of time.
can bounce in seemingly random Overlapping booms and busts are
fashion from exhibit to exhibit, or a provided in a cyclical experience –
highly structured narrative of discrete as one exhibit beings to fade from
elements to be viewed only one at a view, another is beginning to loom just
time. ahead.

Role Reversal
The car is a machine dedicated to motion. Similarly, the Mercedes-Benz Museum is a
machine dedicated to motion. It was designed specifically to move hundreds of thousands of
people each year around its exhibits - cars on display that were built to move, but are forced to
sit still in their new environment. It is the museum itself that seems to shift instead, smearing its
internal boundaries and blending its formal elements.
This sense of blurred distortion holds strong ties to the modern car, especially the renowned
speed of Mercedes-Benz engineering.
In this case however, instead of cars speeding past, the building races all around you as
do hundreds of other visitors, while the cars themselves sit in perfect clarity.

10
TECHNIQUE

11
The creation of copies inherently
reduces the value of the original, thereby
elevating the cost or perceived value of Reproducibility
singular works of art, rare cars, first edition
books, etc. By creating a unique and non-
reproducible building, the significance of the
building is elevated. Visitors who wish to

VALUE
experience the museum and its exhibits must
travel to the museum itself as that particular
experience cannot be found anywhere else
in the world. Similar buildings may exist, yet
none that begin to resemble a copy of the
original.
This is in part due to the use of
computer aided design by UN Studio in COPIES
the museum’s creation. Though curvilinear
forms have been seen in architecture
Somewhat ironically however, the automobile (even with its complex
for centuries, the complex mathematical
geometry) was has been specifically designed for mass production. As
geometries existing in multiple dimensions as
the two begin to slowly converge, perhaps this will have the same effect on
seen in the Mercedes-Benz Museum require
buildings of the future. The advent of CAD has also allowed for the easy
computer design aid for both modelling and
reproduction and distribution of construction drawings, allowing indefinite
engineering purposes. Computer aided
reproductions and copies to be made quite readily, thereby devaluing iconic
design (CAD) has revolutionized building
architecture.
technology and modes of construction.
The use of computers in the modelling
and drawing of this building allowed for Complexity via CAD
complete freedom in form. The multitude
of continuous curves, slopes and oblique
lines of the building resulted in a structure
that was incredibly complex to build. Each
concrete form was custom made and there
were thousands of pieces of angled glass
for the windows that needed to fit exactly in
place. Without the use of computers, this
building would have been nearly impossible
to build. Without the original schematic
plans, the building literally could be not be
reproduced.
12
Technical Safety
The complex geometrical form of the
museum lends itself not only to an effective
exhibit layout and experience, but also some
highly advanced public safety features. As
modern buildings, especially those open to
the public, are subjected to more rigorous
safety codes, these standards become
increasingly informative to the building’s
composition. This is especially true in the
case of fires – a long standing nemesis of
the built environment.

The central atrium which connects

to each floor via open air circulation allows
for a complex ventilation system to remove
smoke in the case of fire. Aside from
common sprinkler systems, this building has The creation of an iconic building for the sole purpose of displaying objects
the ability to generate a strong wind current immediately increases the perceived value of the objects being displayed, as if they
within the atrium by means of several large were on a pedestal. This transformation of the objects aligns with Mercedes-Benz’s
fans in the roof which form a vortex of company objectives, those of high value luxury cars. By constructing a pedestal on
swirling air. This miniature tornado sucks the scale of a multistory museum to display its own goods, Mercedes-Benz is forming
the toxic air from all circulation and exhibit an elevated image of their own product to all who enter the museum.
spaces into the uninhabited space of the
atrium, while simultaneously allowing fresh air
to permeate into the public spaces through Display Value
the opening of multiple vents. Visitors are
then able to see and make their way out
safely out of the building. This autonomous
behaviour nearly resembles organismal
self-preservation characteristics, detecting
problems and mitigating them.

13
SPACE

14
Space Creation

By designing the Mercedes-Benz Museum as a series of

continuous, interlocked set of ramps, UN Studio effectively
fashioned a giant knot of concrete. This knot essentially
creates spaces by developing the areas under, over and
around the unadorned concrete structure. Through a
continuous folding and striation of a single homogenous
element, numerous different spaces are delineated. By
focusing on the pedestrian pathway and its form, the
interstitial spaces inhabited by exhibits materialize.

Spatial Demarcation

These interstitial spaces again pose some

comparison to that of the automobile. An
infrastructural framework is first built,
establishing and demarcating a particular
inhabitable space, clearly defining an inside
and outside. This space can then be
expropriated and inhabited by the users.

15
Variable Continuum Display
1926

2012

The space created by and within the form of this building is one of neutrality. UN Studio essentially created a concrete and glass shell
to be inhabited by exhibits and visitors. The vast, open spaces of the museum are all interconnected and act as a larger, singular space
that encompasses the entire assemblage of exhibits. The individual exhibits may be unique, but the encompassing nature of the space acts
to make each level and display era work as a part within a larger whole.
This ambiguity also allows the curators of the museum to swap exhibits over time as necessary, as the building lends itself to
continuous display alteration. As new features are created and old ones grow stagnant, exhibits and cars can be replaced and the museum
building will still act as a perfect neutral backdrop to showcase the vehicles. In this sense, the museum acts as a static yet adaptable space
through which time glides, highlighting whatever era the curator currently desires.

The location of this museum as a nodal home for

Mercedes-Benz in Germany acts as an anchor in space. Nodal Anchor
Though Mercedes-Benz vehicles can and literally do exist
everywhere on the planet, their country of origination serves
as a focal point through which the cars are born, and also
where the pre-eminent return to be showcased. The museum
draws upon the achievements of the company and its global
experience, aggregating into a common home, creating a
space nearly to that of worship.
The end result of UN Studio’s efforts has resulted in a
dominant architectural node that acts centrally in a complex,
hierarchical multi-national network. Working as both a local
and global tourist attraction - a literal cultural shrine for the
German-born automobile - the Mercedes-Benz Museum in
Stuttgart is that of a modern museum typology deeply rooted
in architectural theory and the proud home of Mercedes-Benz’s
exemplary history.

16
REFERENCES

Ben Van Berkel and Caroline Bos, Buy Me a Mercedes Benz, (Barcelona: Actar, 2006)

Ben Van Berkel and Caroline Bos, UN Studio Design Models: Architecture Urbanism Infrastructure, (London: Thames & Hudson, 2006)

Falk Jaeger, UN Studio, (Calbe: Jovis Verlag GmbH, 2009)

“Mercedes-Benz Museum,” ArchDaily, Accessed December 1, 2012, http://www.archdaily.com/72802/mercedes-benz-museum-un-

studio-photos-by-michael-schnell/

“Mercedes-Benz Museum,” UN Studio, Accessed December 1, 2012, http://www.unstudio.com/projects/mercedes-benz-museum

“Tornado World Record at Mercedes-Benz Museum Stuttgart,” YouTube, accessed December 1, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=79XVdJRKhE0

17