The Museum of Applied Arts in Berlin, which has been closed for three years, was reopened recently after a comprehensive renovation. The renovation has been underlined by Berlin-based design consultancy Double Standards, which has designed signage, graphics and a new “Way finding solution” for the museum. The renovation was handled by the architect practice Kuehn Malvezza, which stayed true to the original building's post-war modernism. Both firms were appointed in a joint pitch in which it was proposed that opening up the building to more light, a complete redesign of its exhibition spaces, and an improved visitor flow, would drastically benefit the museum.
The renovation has been underlined by Berlin-based design consultancy Double Standards
Double Standards creative director Chris Rehberger, said their designs have been engineered to almost “Retreat into the background.” New interventions include a foyer area enclosed in a white cube, and a renovation of the building's main staircase, which has been given a fresh “White spine.” Numerous exhibition galleries within the building have also be redesigned to position the museum as a “Home for art, fashion and design.” Rehberger does not mince his words when describing how he believes the museum looked prior to his firm's redesign. He said it was “Dark and not somewhere you’d want to be unless you needed to be there.” He also called the guidance system a “Non-existent mess.”
New interventions include a foyer area enclosed in a white cube, and a renovation of the building's main staircase
The museum's new signage system is subtle and stark, with everything rendered in a four-colour gradient that runs from red to black. The larger the signage, the brighter the colour, with the large overhead signs directing visitors around the building using bright red, and smaller, descriptive text using black set in white. The idea, Rehberger says, is that the signage reveals itself “One layer after the other and the closer you get the darker the type gets.”
The museum is located within Berlin's Kulturforum complex
The museum is located within Berlin's Kulturforum complex, which also houses the New National Gallery and the Berlin State Library, so the design of the museum had to be distinct so it would stand apart from the other institutions. The bright red is what really helps the museum stand out, with graphics also painted onto the floor both inside and outside the building in order to draw people in and remind them where they are. It's a cohesive design that is bold enough to draw people in and simple enough to defy confusion.
The museum's new signage system is rendered in a four-colour gradient that runs from red to black
According to the museum's website, it “Provides a systematic overview of the key achievements in European design, from the Middle Ages to the present day,” with new features including “An extensive Fashion Gallery as well as the departments of Design and Jugendstil to Art Déco.”
