History of Moritzburg Castle

The ancient castle of Moritzburg is located in the city of Halle, Germany and is an example of typical German Gothic military architecture at the end of the 15th Century. The building has had a turbulent history that is reflected in the multiple alterations that the caste has undergone. However, the building still maintains its original structure of its main architectural features including the surrounding walls, three out of four of the original round corner towers and the central courtyard.

The Thirty Years War in the 17th Century saw the partial destruction of the North Wall which left the castle in the image of a romantic ruin which it has maintained through the centuries until today.

Moritzburg Castle – Moritzburg Museum

Today, the castle is known as Moritzburg Museum which contains a very notable modern art collection – mainly consisting of German Expressionism. There are many gallery and exhibition spaces throughout the building which is open for public viewing.

The Extension – Moritzburg Museum

Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos’s design for the extension is based on an individual clear architectural idea. It involves the addition of a new roof that is conceived as a large folded platform that rises and breaks to allow  to flood into the space. It is also from where there is new hanging exhibition space. The architects have inserted an extension above the 15th Century Stonework building that provides a roof to what was previously an open air top floor.

This has resulted in freeing up the previously open air floor of the ruin to create a new and interesting exhibition space by combining ancient architecture with modern architecture. Additionally, the architects have added two new vertical communication cores in which people travel through the building, providing access to the new exhibition spaces. The angular geometry of the new roof extension and the metal tower contrasts hugely with the castles existing irregular shapes and high roofs.

My Thoughts and Why I have chosen it as a Precedent?

I have chosen Moritzburg Museum as a precedent for my final major project for two main reasons.

Old and New Architecture – Moritzburg Museum is a very beautiful example of where ancient architecture is combined with modern architecture. The building that I have chosen (The Albion Brewery) is a Victorian building, and for my design, I intend to add an extension or insertion that is more modern to have a similar effect as the Moritzburg Museum – combining old architecture with new architecture.

Materials – The materials used to construct the extension to the roof of the Moritzburg Museum were selected to allow a lot of natural light into the space. When designing some of the spaces within the building that I am using for my project, I would like to consider the materials that I will be using and their qualities in bringing natural light into some of those spaces. Due to the fact that I am designing a business and hospitality hub, I believe that this will be necessary in quite a few of the spaces. However I need to also consider insulation.

For more Information about Moritzburg Museum, please visit the following links:

https://www.dezeen.com/2011/06/17/moritzburg-museum-extension-by-niento-sobejano-arquitectos/

http://www.archdaily.com/132838/moritzburg-museum-extension-nieto-sobejano-arquitectos