“Like a Rock”: Landscaping and architecture

True to its name, the low fan-shaped building continues the forms of the rock, blending into the quarry at the entrance to the town and embracing the lake formed in the quarry to the west.The material nature of the construction reflects the various stages in working granite: from the rough-hewn stone to the glossy polished surface, all in massive form. The other materials used in the building and outside it are also strictly linked with work in the quarry.

The centre is built entirely out of natural materials: granite, oak wood, iron and graphite in combination with cement. The majority of the materials used to make the façade and the roofing were made out of waste materials from the existing granite quarries.The museum’s exhibition route centres around the glass room dramatically overlooking the lake in the old quarry. The building’s layout follows the natural shape of the rock, playing with contrasts of light and dark.

The building’s compact form and integration into the quarry in combination with the deep lake make the museum a particularly energy efficient building.

The concept is based on active roles for parts of the construction such as the massive stone and cement walls and floor. The building’s position overlooking the little lake allows it to enjoy natural cooling, while building automation systems reduce the building’s energy balance further to permit economical operation.

Brückner & Brückner’s building is a landmark that fits into its surroundings, continuing them and focusing on them without giving up its own identity, using a clear vocabulary based on the focus of its message: granite.
Design: Brückner & Brückner, Tirschenreuth, http://www.architektenbrueckner.de
Location: Hauzenberg, Germany
Museum website: http://www.stein-welten.de, http://www.granitforum.de 
Photographs: Andre Mühling (1, 4, 7), Peter Manev (2, 3, 5, 6, 8)

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GALLERY