Leica is synonymous with excellence among professional and passionate photographers worldwide. The Leica Museum in Wetzlar, conceived by Gruber + Kleine Architects, brings the past, present, and future of camera technology to life. A central plaza serves as a vibrant campus for visitors and staff alike. Frankfurt-based landscape architects Wewer Landschaftsarchitektur designed this plaza, drawing creative inspiration from camera lenses themselves. Circles emerge as the dominant design vocabulary. This approach anchors the design to the recently completed Leica Experience World while seamlessly integrating all structures around the central plaza. The square thoughtfully incorporates visitor and employee parking without compromising the overall composition.

Here, visitors, guests, and staff find an experience designed for their comfort, where the museum and corporate building coexist as equal protagonists. Between them lie flexible open spaces—ideal for photo exhibitions, moments of quiet reflection, or simply passing through. The circular forms, varying in elevation and scale, echo the camera's zoom mechanism, playfully invoking this iconic motion. Rendered as inlay work combining luminous lamp cleaner grass with pale Portuguese granite, these surfaces flow together harmoniously, extending the refined materials of the interior into the exterior realm. Generously proportioned seating areas in wood and steel nestle beneath the airy canopy of robinia trees, inviting respite and gathering. "We selected robinia trees for their distinctive growth habit—it creates a dynamic counterpoint to the plaza's clear geometric language," explains landscape architect Anja Wewer. "They cast gentle dappled shade while preserving views of the architecture." The interplay of cascading water, rustling foliage, and wind-swept grasses creates a sensory symphony. Forty ground-level jets arranged in concentric circles choreograph fountains rising up to 16 feet in an ever-changing display. As darkness falls, light steles illuminate the scene, while ground spotlights dramatize selected tree clusters, exhibition areas, and facades in warm, atmospheric tones. A setting that captivates photography enthusiasts from dawn to dusk.

www.wewer-la.de

Photography Credits:

Stefan Müller
www.stefanjosefmueller.de

(Published in CUBE Frankfurt 03|20)