Weltmuseum Wien (World Museum, Vienna)

Following an international open competition in 2013, Gareth Hoskins Architects in collaboration with Ralph Appelbaum Associates were appointed to redevelop 9,000m² of exhibition areas and visitor facilities in the World Museum in the historic Hofburg Palace in Vienna. A redesigned public square with a new illuminated ‘media box’, containing a café and information point, enlivens the entrance and improves the museums public presence on Heldenplatz. New reception and introductory spaces lead visitors to the Säulenhalle, the heart of the museum. From here visitors can directly access new temporary exhibition spaces, an events area, restaurant and children’s museum at ground floor or the permanent collection and open archive on the upper floor. The new restaurant overlooks Heldenplatz and forms a new connection between the Säulenhalle and the Neue Burg. The design uses a uniform architectural language, sensitive to its historic context, which works in conjunction with the exhibition design to create a clear and coherent museum.