Archive of the Avant-Garde – Dresden

Through the transformation of the Blockhaus by Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos, a unique place has been created to house the donation of Egidio Marzona’s collection to the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.

Located on the banks of the river Elbe, the Blockhaus is one of the most significant buildings in the historic city center of Dresden. Built in 1732, it has undergone multiple transformations over time, predominantly after the 2nd World War. The project, with a usable area of 2,000 m², responds to the desire to open the archive of the Marzona collection.

The project arises from a dialogue between memory and the avant-garde, represented by the building itself and its collection, which translates into the insertion of a suspended concretecube containing the archive that frees the entire ground floor as a flexible public space for exhibitions, workshops, events and lectures. A large concrete volume floating inside the empty Blockhaus constitutes the centrepiece of the archive, a hidden treasure, like the inevitable presence of the past.

Read the entire article in Finnish and see the images >>