Museum of the Bavarian Kings

Hohenschwangau, Germany

Photo © Marcus Ebener

Architects: Staab Architekten

Location: Hohenschwangau, Germany
Year: 2011

The former Hotel Alpenrose, set directly on the Alpsee Lake right below the castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, is being converted into a new museum dedicated to the history of the Wittelsbach dynasty. This change is visible on the outside primarily through the construction of a new roof atop the one-storey connecting building, the former dining room of the historic hotel. The central new exhibition galleries have been conceived as a filigree steel structure housing a three-nave room layout. While the two outer barrel vaults have been cut away to afford a view of the surrounding landscape, the middle section is dominated by a large exhibition gallery. In the adjacent Hunting Lodge, the exhibition circuit continues across an overall floor area of approx. 1,000 square metres. In the former main building of Hotel Alpenrose, the ground floor will hold a restaurant with a spacious outdoor area on the shore of the Alpsee, while the upper levels will once again be used as a hotel.