PRESSE NFORMATION
THE NEW STÄDEL GARDEN
NEW PRESENTATION OF THE SCULPTURES / FURTHER ENERGY-SAVING CONSTRUCTION MEASURES COMPLETED / VISITORS’ TERRACE PLANNED ON THE ROOF OF THE MUSEUM
From now on the newly installed Städel Garden, the Städel Museum’s most prominent collection space, invites visitors to discover outstanding works of modern and contemporary art. A total of fourteen sculptures from the museum’s own holdings are presented – the most recent acquisition, Si par une nuit d’hiver un voyageur (2017) by Elmgreen & Dragset, can be seen for the first time. In a new setting, the selection of artworks ranging from August Gaul’s The Donkey Rider (1912) and Georg Kolbe’s Proclamation (1912/1913) to Reg Butler’s Figure in Space (1958/1959), Per Kirkeby’s Gate II (1987–1991), and Tobias Rehberger’s Capri Moon (2011) shed light on the development of sculpture over the last 100 years. Access to the Städel Garden is free of charge.
The new presentation of the sculptures was realized on the basis of a design by the landscape architects Levin Monsigny, who are known for their major project, the Museum Island Berlin. Various structural measures were implemented in the Städel Garden on an area of approximately 5,200 m²: The sculptures are now placed on their own sandstone plinths in dedicated fields planted with ivy and white flowers. In front of the main entrance of the Städel Museum, a large forecourt has been created as a central meeting place for visitors. Around the entire museum building, the ground level was raised and paved with Mayen basalt lava. In addition, energy-saving, climate-friendly LED lighting was installed on the historic Main embankment façade, which had already been lavishly restored and fitted with new windows in 2019. Seating groups, chairs, and benches are available to relax in the new Städel Garden.
To save drinking water, two cisterns were built to collect rainwater for watering the garden’s green areas. In the course of this, the drainage systems were also renewed. In addition, a barrier-free entrance with a lift system was installed at the museum’s main entrance, which now allows visitors with limited mobility to reach the Städel quickly and centrally. The next project will be the construction of a visitors’ terrace on the roof of the Städel Museum, starting at the end of August. Completion is scheduled for the summer of 2023. Both building projects were designed by the architects schneider+schumacher, who were also responsible for the Städel Museum’s extension, the Garden Halls for the Collection of Contemporary Art, which opened in 2012.