The new museum depot at the Kunsthalle Mannheim offers optimal conditions for art. RESTAURO spoke to Johannes Baur, the specialist planner responsible, about the requirements for the corresponding premises. What are the basic requirements?
Around 2,150 paintings, 850 sculptures and 600 craft objects returned to the Kunsthalle Mannheim in the fall of 2017 and moved into the rooms in the new building and the new depot. Up until November last year alone, a team of experts from the Kunsthalle Mannheim consisting of conservators, registrars, curators and exhibition technicians carried out 50 art transports that were planned according to a general plan. Every sculpture, every painting and every ceramic object was given a barcode so that all future relocations can be automatically tracked in the museum database. After a climate control phase, the objects were integrated directly into the sophisticated storage system in the basement via two freight elevators.
Johannes Baur, an external specialist from Munich, was responsible for planning the 1,000 square meter depot. For over 20 years, the specialist conservation planner with his own office has not only been advising cultural institutions, but also realizing museum depots and archives – including internationally. Johannes Baur realized that there was an urgent need for this while working as a furniture restorer at the Munich City Museum in the mid-1990s. At the time, he was also responsible for setting up the new external depots. “Preventive conservation is not an issue for a storage technician,” emphasizes the expert.
But what needs to be considered when setting up a depot? “It’s best to involve the specialist planner well in advance,” advises Johannes Baur. “I generally receive the floor plans and of course take a look at the collection. I then design the storage technology equipment in line with the property inventory. In general, you should consider: How sensitive are the works? What lighting technology do we need? A stable climate is also one of many issues.” At the Kunsthalle Mannheim, the service package included the following tasks: basic evaluation, design planning, cost estimation, implementation planning, participation in the awarding of contracts (preparation of specifications, review of tenders, price comparison list and award proposal), scheduling, construction supervision, acceptance of work, invoice verification and cost control.
“One of the most difficult areas of planning is painting train systems, because it’s easy to underestimate the statics here,” reveals Johannes Baur. “The high storage density was a challenge in Mannheim, as the storage space is fixed by the building and can no longer be increased. I spent a long time working out how to make the best possible use of the space. What distance do you actually need for the paintings? I calculated that one centimeter change in the center distance of the trains means 100 square meters more hanging space.”
Read more in the current issue of RESTAURO 5/2018, www.restauro.de/shop
The owner-managed planning office of Johannes Baur (Munich) has developed out of practical experience and today focuses on depot planning. Over 100 different cultural institutions have been advised and over 40 museum depots/archives have been realized, www.baur-planung.de