Author: Studio Muoto

Open archive – Marbach, Germany
 
The project explores the notion of the “open archive,” perceived as an oxymoron, by proposing an architecture based on a dialectic between openness and closure, light and depth. The archive is not conceived as a static place, but as a living system that must constantly be updated and brought into the light. This idea is expressed through a building that combines archaeological depth with a light, translucent roof, comparable to an archaeological site illuminated from above. The building is conceived both as a controlled climate, ensuring optimal conditions for the preservation of manuscripts, and as a spatial experience of immersion into the past. Its triangular form, oriented towards the Literature Park, emphasizes its public openness and urban integration, with differentiated façades responding to specific uses and access points. The interior is structured around a large longitudinal fissure that stages the archives and the work of archivists, while establishing a visual dialogue between public spaces and storage areas. Consultation spaces, bathed in soft light, alternate between transparency and intimacy. The archive wing, rational and partially buried, functions like a large storage shelf. The entire project is based on a duality between deep, massive storage and a light, luminous roof, symbolizing openness and the sharing of knowledge.