Kunsthaus Graz
Kunsthaus Graz is a modern art museum located on the west bank of the River Mur in the historic centre of Graz, Austria. It was designed and built as part of the 2003 European Capital of Culture celebrations and has since become a city landmark, popularly known as the 'Friendly Alien'.
Its design was a collaboration between two professors from the Bartlett School of Architecture, Colin Fournier and Peter Cook, formerly the leader of the Archigram group that acquired a reputation for unusual urban design concepts in the 1960s.
The designers adopted an innovative style known as blobitecture or 'blob architecture' to create the building's organic, amoeba-shaped form with 'spouts' projecting from the roof, that stands out in stark contrast to its more traditional surroundings. The glazed outer skin is constructed from 1,288 iridescent blue acrylic panels.
The skin generates energy through the use of integrated photovoltaic panels as a result of which, its environmental impact is very low. The skin also forms a 'BIX Façade' screen, capable of displaying interactive media using the 900 computer-controlled fluorescent lamps fitted beneath the surface.
See more from the Unusual Building Design of the Week series.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Architectural styles.
- Blobitecture.
- Building of the week series.
- Centro Eventi Multifunzionale, Italy.
- Dali Theatre and Museum.
- Dancing House, Prague.
- Gentle Genius.
- Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao.
- Habitat 67.
- Lotus Temple.
- Luxor Las Vegas.
- Nexus.
- Rose Museum.
- St. Basil's Cathedral.
- Sage Gateshead.
- Switch House, Tate Modern.
- Tallest buildings in the world.
- The Gherkin.
- The Mile.
- The Oculus.
- Titanic Belfast.
- Unusual building design of the week.
- Zenith de Strasbourg.
[edit] External references
- Museum Joanneum - Official site
Featured articles and news
Liverpool's world heritage site status
Who is to blame?
Research recommends focussing on portfolio success rather than project success.
ICE and BSI launch revised PAS 128 standard.
The revised standard for mapping underground utilities.
Launching the UK net zero carbon buildings standard.
Cross-industry steering group seeks support in delivery.
How to write an inspection and test plan.
Help us update process pieces from your field.
APM report explores existing practice.
Previous reflections on mental health with CIAT.
COVID-19 and the importance of mental wellbeing.
IHBC accreditation recognised by CSCS
As Professionally Qualified Person (PQP).
The Queens speech; bill by bill for 2022.
In order of relevance and with industry responses.
Mental Health awareness week, May 9-15.
Raising awareness of the impacts of loneliness.
Rapidly renewable materials and construction.
The list is growing, and in more ways than one.
Personal experiences of infrastructure maintenance issues.
We shouldn’t build new, If we can’t maintain what's built.
Mass timber: challenges and potential solutions.
Timber Accelerator Hub phase 1 report
CIOB Safer Buildings UK conference. May 26.
Find out more and book your place today.
Delisting a world heritage site
What was Unesco up to in Liverpool?
Repairing a symbol of the industrial revolution.
Cooling in the context of extreme summer temperatures.
BSRIA on air conditioning inflation and supply chain crisis.
ICE react to gender stereotyping.
From the chair of UK gov's commission on social mobility.
Specifying Concrete with The Concrete Centre.
5 types of concrete specification.