The salt factory on the Zollverein coking plant site in Essen was built in 1959, went into operation as a production and processing facility in 1961 and was shut down in 1993. Unused in the following years, the "National Urban Development Projects" program made it possible to convert the salt factory into the Ruhr Museum's new show depot in 2016. In 2017, Planinghaus Architekten from Darmstadt were commissioned by the Zollverein Foundation to carry out the conversion and refurbishment. The Stuttgart-based firm Südstudio, which has long been associated with the Ruhr Museum through numerous conversion and exchange projects, was responsible for the exhibition architecture. Architects and interior designers worked closely together on the interlocking interfaces, with the involvement of the heritage authority. The Schaudepot was handed over to the Ruhr Museum in fall 2020.

The functional building, inconspicuous from the outside, reveals its qualities on the inside. In contrast to the historical entrance situation, access to the show depot is not via the two existing large gates, but rather via a glass foyer in the middle, which leads centrally to the display shelves. Visitors then become aware of the two imposing, 18-metre-high atriums with their connecting bridges and register the impressive concrete skeleton structure, which clearly shows the massive traces of industrial production. A panoramic elevator leads to the third floor, from where the exhibition is accessed. On the way there, there are fantastic views into the atriums and across to the other levels of the building. The exhibition concept leads back to the first floor via the three levels of nature, culture and history. From the oldest items in the geology collection to archaeology and the pre-modern collections from the Middle Ages and early modern times, the exhibition moves on to the industrial and contemporary history of the last 200 years. "It was important to us to preserve as much of the original substance as possible, such as the patina on the walls with their slightly morbid charm. The rest of the color scheme and lighting were then sensitively matched to the building," explains interior designer Hannes Bierkämper. The warm grey tone of the newly insulated exterior walls now forms the color setting and the light does not focus on individual exhibits, but illuminates the entire room. In addition - completely unusual for normal depot furnishings - there are white shelves, which appear bright and friendly and show off the 25,000 or so exhibits, around a third of which are on display.

www.planinghaus.de
www.suedstudio.de

Photos:

Brigida González
www.brigidagonzalez.de

(Published in CUBE Ruhr Area 04|21)