A-Z
Abecedarium
Kolumba from A to Z
(2007 to the opening of the new building)
Air conditioning
In all the museum rooms (and storerooms), apart from the foyer, the
temperature and humidity can be finely adjusted. Due to the
>thermo-active building system and >geothermal energy the
necessary technical installations could not be visibly integrated into
floors and ceilings of the exhibition rooms. Unlike conventional
air-conditioners, the supply air flows in from above through the lamp
holes in the mortar ceiling and the used air is exhausted over large
areas through the floor-edge >joint. The fresh air is obtained from
the large space of the archaeological zone, where it flows in through
the >filter masonry. The planning for this system was in the hands of
Gerhard Kahlert from Haltern.
Archaeology
One of the main reasons for chosing this place for the new building
was the preservation of the exceptional archaelogical site. Excavations
(1973-1976) produced three Roman foundations of the late Gothic church
St. Kolumba (9th to 13th century). Early remains of a wall stem from the
founding time of the City of Cologne (mid 1st century). The apsis of a
late Roman house dates from Frankish time (around 700) and probably
marks the beginning of the veneration of Saint Kolumba in this place.
Since the fragments were merely covered with a wooden roof, they were in
danger of eventually being destroyed.
Architectural competition
After several years of preparation an architectural competition was
organized in 1996. It was open to participants from the archbishopric of
Colonge. Seven architects from other european countries had also been
invited to the anonymous competition. In June 1997, after a three-day of
examining, the jury voted 12:1 for the draft of Peter Zumthor.
Chapel
In veneration of the a Late Gothic statue of Mary which had remained
standing and undamaged in the war rubble, the chapel »Madonna in the
Ruins« was erected according to a design by Gottfried Böhm (born 1920).
Furnished with works by Ludwig Gies, Ewald Mataré, Georg Meistermann,
Jan Thorn-Prikker, Elisabeth Treskow and Rudolf Peer, it is a gem of
religious art from the twenties to the fifties. The plan of the building
supervisor of the time, the parish priest Joseph Geller, was to
re-erect the church as a contemporary building, which would surround the
chapel. Gottfried Böhm provided architectural plans in 1949 and 1957
including church buildings and finally in 1973 with the addition of a
»Kolumba Institute«. Unlike that of Peter Zumthor his plans provided
only for enclosing the octagon, not the chapel entrance, which has been
given a vestibule in the present building. As before, the “coated”
chapel was discretely preserved to be used for divine services.
Collection
On the basis of the heterogeneous collection of the museum as
founded in 1853, the variety of the collection is one of its main aims.
It ranges now from late antiquity to the present, from Romanesque
sculpture to space installations, from medieval panel painting to
»Radical Painting«, from Gothic ciborium to articles of everyday use
from the twentieth century. The search for an overriding order, balance,
proportion and beauty is common to all artistic endeavour and the
thread that binds the collection. Special areas include early
Christianity (Coptic textiles), painting, sculpture and the art of the
goldsmith from the 11th to the 16th century, witnesses to the piety of
the people, and one of the most comprehensive collections of rosaries.
In 1996 this collection was enriched remarkably by the Härle donation,
which includes two thirds of what was formerly one of the most
significant private German collections of medieval sculpture. The 19th
century is represented by paintings, drawings and religious graphic
reproductions. In the field of “Modernism” it has been possible to build
up a small collection that plays an important role as a bridge between
the 19thcentury and contemporary art. The donation of part of the estate
of Andor Weininger, who was prominent in the Bauhaus movement in Weimar
und Dessau, was a milestone in 1999. In contemporary art collection
activities have focused on artistic discourses which pursued matters of
human existence at the height of their times and which are especially
important for the Church. With this wide range of approaches there is an
opportunity to discover in an artwork religious dimension relevant to
its own time and beyond. Wherever possible, the collection aims at
building up comprehensive groups of work from individual artists that
can be integrated into many different exhibitions from many points of
view. With the Schriefer donation of works and forms, the collection
received a consistent enrichment in the field of applied art from the
twentieth century.
Communication
What sense is there in answering questions nobody asks and providing
information so complex that it is incomprehensible? Kolumba sees itself
as a place for individual discoveries. >Guided tours are conducted
in the museum as art talks in front of selected originals. They centre
on the individual observations of participants. The aim of these
dialogues is not to take away the immanent strangeness of the art work
but to communicate its complexity and ambivalence, to explain art with
art.
Costs
About twelve >years after it had been possible to resolve the
site issue, with the express support of the Priests’ Council and the
Church Tax Council, the Archbishop decided to hold the >architecture
competition, and from this Peter Zumthor emerged as the winner in 1997.
After a planning phase of several years, in mid 2002 the costs for the
entire project were calculated at €36.7m and finance was secured at this
level by the owner of the building. The high demands on >air
conditioning and, especially, the remarkable complexity of the site made
it clear throughout the entire planning and implementation phases that
realising the project according to the plan, especially in relation to
the construction period, and consequently the building costs, would be
burdened with risks. Therefore, the project management process was aimed
in every phase at securing conformity to the projections and
specifications as far as possible. Normal price increases were included
in the calculation of costs, but not the – in some cases exorbitant –
increases in costs for materials (such as steel) or the rise in value
added tax. Due to overlaps in time with general, quite drastic saving
measures of the >owner, however, there was an unconditional target of
keeping the financial expenditure of the Diocese within the limits of
secured financing while maintaining the quality of the building work.
From the very beginning of the planning phase, the owner tried to obtain
public subsidies for the investments in >archaeology (ground
monument preservation) and >geothermal energy. With the support of
the City of Cologne it was possible to obtain a subsidy from the Land
government of €5m. The building costs have now reached a total of
€43.4m, of which €5m were financed through the said subsidy and the
remaining €38.4m from the owner’s own resources.
Courtyard
One of the unique features of Peter Zumthor’s design was not to
erect a building on the former churchyard of Kolumba, so that a museum
courtyard with a view of the north wall of the ruins could be created
here. The »Large Recumbent Woman« of the Swiss sculptor, Hans Josephsohn
(born in Königsberg in 1920), is one of the few works from the
collection that are on permanent display. Her presence in the courtyard
with its eleven planted >trees takes up the lost tradition of the
museum gardens which invite people to stop a while, have a rest and
meditate.
Criticism
During the past fifteen years there has not only been approval of
the new building. For a long time encapsulating the >chapel was a
matter of debate. Well-known Cologne architects accused the museum of
ignorance and Peter Zumthor of brutalism. The interested public was
especially fearful that an intervention at this sensitive site could
destroy the traces of history. A citizens’ initiative even warned of a
deterioration in air quality in the Kolumba quarter because of the new
building. Gottfried Böhm, the builder of the >chapel approved of the
basic concept of the new building and the associated encapsulation of
the chapel at a joint press conference with Peter Zumthor at the end of
2001. He had first made the suggestion of constructing a superstructure
for the chapel in his plans of 1949, which he updated in his plans of
1957, 1973 and 1997. Unanswered was the question of how the corner of
the building was to be structured on Brückenstrasse and Kolumbastrasse.
No consensus could be reached on this because Böhm wanted to keep this
corner open with a view of the south facade of the chapel, while the
owner, partly in consideration of the former situation of St. Kolumba,
had decided in favour of the now realised solution of a vestibule. Even
after completion of the new building criticism was directed at the
changed lighting situation in the chapel, which is thought by some to be
too dark. They are opposed by those who accept the darker sacred space
with its surrounding membrane of light as an intimate devotional space.
The owner waited for completion of the details before finally
considering the necessity of any supporting light.
Filter brickwork
The preservation of the archaeological zone requires a natural
climate (as an alternative to complicated and expensive technical
equipment). The so-called filter brickwork allows air and mild daylight
to penetrate the walls. It forms a mosaics of light wrapping up the
chapel
in ethereal beams of light. For several years samples of the filter brickwork were produced up to a scale of 1:1.
Firms involved
You can find a full list of all firms involved in the building
process under the menu »Building« / »institutions and firms involved«.
Gaps
The building virtually has no gaps. There is a slight natural
movement in the material which is compensated for by the mass. Therefore
you can find many hairline cracks on the floors and ceilings. The only
gaps between walls and floor serves to air-condition the rooms by taking
in vitiated air.
Ground plan
The unusual ground plan of the building results from that of the
late Gothic church St. Kolumba with its northern annex which is now the
foyer. When the Romanic church consisting of three naves was extended,
it was with respect to Brückenstrasse thus resulting in a trapezoide
form of the Gothic church with five naves. The biggest exhibition room
still shows the form of the nave as well as the first floor rooms show
the form of the former side naves. Especially the structure of the
different exhibition rooms makes clear the long time of planning in
order to achieve different and the best possible situations concerning
light and space.
Guided tours
We offer a guided tour every Saturday at 10.30 am for individual
visitors. Due to the limited number of participants please telephone our
office in advance. Guided tours for groups take place before or after
the opening hours. Please book well in advance.
Intervention
»It´s not what you see that is art, art is the gap. I like this idea
and even if it´s not true, I accept it for the truth.« Marcel Duchamp
By altering the exhibition several times over the course of the
year, Kolumba largely displays its own collection in changing contexts.
Each year a new selection of works is introduced on September 15.
(Artistic) Interventions supplement and change the context of this
collection presentation.
Kolumba
The church of St. Kolumba goes back to the old church dedicated to
St. Kolumba herself, and the history of its construction can be
experienced vividly through the >archaeology. The cult of this saint,
promoted by the royal court of the Merovingians, was possibly brought
to Cologne from there by Bishop St. Kunibert (born before 626, died
after 648). Originally, the centre of her veneration was in Sens, where
relics of the saint, said to be a prince’s daughter from Saragossa, were
kept. According to the legend, she refused to marry the son of the
Emperor Aurelian, was locked in a brothel and then, after an
unsuccessful attempt to burn her, was flagellated and beheaded in 273.
Her attribute is a bear, which is said to have defended her virginity
from a rapist.
Light
The purpose of the new building was not to create a museum »flooded
with light« but rather Kolumba is a light-and-shade museum, which
develops with the changing times of daylight and seasons and also
experiences twilight. This applies to the space for >archaeology no
less than to the exhibition rooms. The classical museum ceiling, which
guarantees even light at all times, was abandoned in favour of a vivid
lighting situation. In its place, side light and lateral overhead light
from the various geographical directions give distinction to most
exhibition rooms. In the artificially lit rooms, which are both
reasonable and necessary for a museum, no effort was made to imitate
daylight, but rather to create a unique light quality with glass
calottes for general lighting and spots for accentuation.
Location
In the age of globalisation Kolumba wishes to mark a specific
location with a collection and an architecture that complement each
other and represent two thousand years of western culture in an
unmistakeable manner. A location that will make a contribution to the
identity of the city, the church and every individual.
Masonry
One of the main challenges to the realisation of the architectural
plans, continuing to build directly onto existing fragments, was to
develop a suitable stone, and Peter >Zumthor already made suggestions
in his draft for the competition. The warm grey brickwork was developed
in several years of work; the stone, partly hand-finished by a Danish
manufacturer, was named »Kolumba stone«. Its colour nuances range
through yellow, red, green and blue. In this way it corresponds to the
medieval remains of brick, tuffs and basalts. Its flat format with the
basic sizes of 54x21 and 5x4cm permits its use on the >filter masonry
as well as building up on the existing brims of the ruins. Careful
execution of the masonry with manually prepared wide horizontal joints
was performed by Polish masons employed by the firm of Heitkamp.
Materials
Even in the notice of purpose for the architecture competition the
question of materials to be used was discussed in detail. In the context
of the existing building remnants an attempt was made to grasp
precisely the limit between the architecture and the material used in it
on the one hand and the work of art on the other. The physical
characteristics were also taken into consideration, in particular the
storage capacity favourable to the >air conditioning system. Work on
the project resulted in the following reduction: light-grey brick walls
and clay plaster, flooring made of Jurassic limestone, terrazzo and
mortar, ceilings made of mortar filled into formwork, window frames,
doors, door frames and fittings made of steel; wall paneling and
furniture made of wood, textiles and leather; curtains made of leather
and silk.
Models
Not only the urban or interior-space proportions of the architecture
were based on large-scale working models, but almost every detail of
the construction. While the former models were made of wood, concrete,
clay and simpler >materials scaled at 1:10, 1:50 up to 1:100, the
examination of details was tried on the 1:1 model of the original. For
masonry, mortar ceilings, plaster and window fittings a model building
was constructed in the yard of the Ursuline Grammar School so that
construction variants could be tried out. The clay plaster wall and the
artificial lighting were developed in public over a period of three
years in a room part of original size used for exhibition purposes in
the old museum on Roncalliplatz.
Museum concept
The idea of Kolumba as a »Museum of Contemplation« was developed
from 1991 by the curatorial team directed by Joachim M. Plotzek and
tried out in many exhibitions and events until the new building was
opened in September 2007 (Joachim M. Plotzek, Katharina Winnekes, Stefan
Kraus, Ulrike Surmann, Marc Steinmann). All thoughts about the
architecture were related to this basic concept. Starting with the
heterogeneous collection structure of the Diocesan Museum founded in
1853, Kolumba is conceived as an art museum under church sponsorship
which wishes to present all questions of artistic design comprehensively
without regard to categories and specialisations. As a museum of
contemplation Kolumba represents an open space contributing to the
debate on life turned into art.
Opening Hours
Kolumba is open throughout the year, every day except Tuesdays, from
noon until 5 p.m. Outside these opening hours, >guided tours and
other >events take place (the museum is closed from “Weiberfastnacht”
Thursday up to and including Ash Wednesday, on Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day and on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day). In addition
Kolumba is closed for installing the annual change of exhibition from 1
to 13 September.
Photographs
You are allowed to take photographs only for private purposes and without using a flash or tripod.
Presentation
The »living museum« makes no distinction between permanent
collection and temporary exhibition. Instead, it utilizes the flowing
quality of the architecture, working with possibilities afforded by the
concurrence and juxtaposition that characterize Peter Zumthor’s
building. By altering the exhibition several times over the course of
the year, Kolumba largely displays its own collection in changing
contexts. Apart from a very few major works, which were created as
site-specific pieces or those which are always in place as signature
pieces of the museum, each year a new selection of works is introduced
on September 15. Special exhibitions and artistic interventions
supplement and change the context of this collection presentation.
Characteristic of the almost private ambience are the absence of object
labels as well as the interconnection of the works in a manner that is
independent of their chronological, stylistic, or media relationships.
The way the works are displayed always strives to achieve presence for
the works of art.
Preservation of a historic monument
Considering preservation two things were important in the
competition: Nothing was to be taken away, nothing was to be added! The
architectonic concept was to preserve everything there was at the
beginning of the 1990s without any judgement of what is worth preserving
and what is not. Peter Zumthor continued building on what was already
there and thus remained in the same tradition known to have existed as
early as in the 9th century. This becomes obvious when looking at the
ground plan and the outer walls of the Kolumba church which naturally
are part of the new building.
Publications
»Kolumba – Ein Architekturwettbewerb in Köln«, Cologne 1997;
»Auswahl eins«, Kolumba vol. 28, Cologne 2007 (all titles from the
internal series of publications can be browsed on the >homepage).
Square metres
The number of square metres finally achieved is very close to the
number specified for the >architecture competition of 1997: 1750 sq.
m. exhibition space (including foyer and staircases) spread across 17
exhibition rooms; in addition there are 900 sq. m. excavation area and
about 600 sq. m. depot and 200 sq. m. storage space on two basement
levels. Restoration and administration are allocated about 300 sq. m.
The total cubage of the building is about 4500 sq. m.
Statics
The construction of the entire building is based on a steel support
system in combination with massive masonry. Securing the ruins, creating
a sensitive base in the archaeological material and bricking up on this
foundation were special challenges. Dealing with them was the task of
Jürg Buchli from Switzerland and of the Cologne architects Schwab-Lemke.
The thirteen thin pillars on the excavation site were shifted by a few
centimetres in cooperation with the archaeologists and placed where they
are without damaging the existing structure. At the same time their
arrangement prescribes the way the space is divided in the exhibition
floor above them and joins the new ground plan with the old one. The
supports correspond to others in the exterior walls; they were drilled
through the former pillars of the Gothic church and anchored in the
ground. They also carry the >filter masonry, which was not to weigh
down on the walls of the ruins.
Surroundings
The large body of the building resulting from building upon the
archaeological site, the >chapel and the earlier church of St.
Kolumba makes it the centrepiece of the city district. The planning was
accompanied by a detailed >model of all the surrounding buildings
where the designs for the new building were placed in at all stages of
development to test the general urban effect. Since the new building is
placed precisely on the ground plan of the late Gothic church, its
erection involves a restoration of the urban space tying in with the
situation before the Second World War. The introduction of the
>courtyard made the plot structure of the land clear. On the eastern
side, marked by a variety of trees, the old passage was restored and
improved as an urban space with continuous pavement and the planting of
>trees.
Trees
At the end of the building project 17 trees were planted: 12 crowns
of thorns (11 in the courtyard), a lime, an oak, a Zelkovia, a Ginkgo
and a cherry tree. The trees are between 20 and 30 years old and were
grown in a Dutch tree nursery.
Vestry
In the destroyed vestibule of St. Kolumba’s church, a former
single-storey building outside the ground-plan of the church, the
symbolic laying of the foundation was celebrated on 24 February 1997,
with the installation of the sculpture »The Drowned and the Saved« by
the American sculptor Richard Serra. The steel sculpture stands above a
crypt which houses all bones recovered from the site’s many crypts
during the excavations of the seventies.
Website
The website »www.kolumba.de« was created in 1998 to provide updated
information and a growing archive of all exhibitions and activities. It
is possible to follow the erection of the new building through several
hundred annotated pictures.
Years
The new building looks back on a planning history of 35 years: in
1972 the plan for a new building was made with the re-opening of the
Museum on Roncalliplatz. In 1983 the first discussions about the
building at St. Kolumba were conducted. In 1987 the museum’s board of
directors approved a new building. In 1989 The Cologne Archdiocese took
over the trusteeship for the Diocesan Museum and appointed Joachim M.
Plotzek as director who, up to 1991, recruited today’s museum team with
Katharina Winnekes, Stefan Kraus and Ulrike Surmann (with the addition
of Marc Steinmann since 2001). In 1991 the Archbishop, Cardinal Joachim
Meisner, made the decision for a new building at St. Kolumba. In 1994
negotiations with the parish resulted in the site being purchased. In
1995 the Priest’s Council voted almost unanimously in favour of a new
building. In 1996 the Church Tax Council approved the new building
project with only one abstention. Once the result of the architecture
competition was obtained, in 1998 the Diocesan Pastoral Council and the
Diocesan Church Tax Council voted in favour of carrying out the project,
and after that Peter Zumthor received his commission. At the end of
2001 the design ready for construction was presented to the public.
Building work began at the end of 2002 and on 1 October 2003 the
foundation stone was laid. On World Youth Day the entire ground floor
was opened for the »1st view!« in August 2005. On 16 March 2006 the
topping out ceremony took place. From 1 August 2007 the new building was
ready to move into.
Zumthor
Peter Zumthor, born in Basel in 1943. Trained as a cabinet maker,
designer and architect at the School of Applied Art in Basel and the
Pratt Institute in New York. Since 1979 proprietor of a firm of
architects in Haldenstein, Switzerland.