MARTa Herford

MARTa (Furniture, Art and Atmosphere) in Herford is the first German museum that combines art, design, fashion, and architecture. The project was initiated by the renowned Belgian curator Jan Moet, who was succeeded in 2009 by Roland Nachtigäller. The design was created by American architect Frank Gehry, who was assisted in the execution by the German studio archimedes. Gehry was tasked with reconstructing part of an industrial hall and adding new structures at the southern and northern ends to create an impressive entrance to the museum.
The building consists of four separate parts: the exhibition wing comprises three smaller and two large galleries, a gently curved lecture hall, and a room for hosting social events. Visitors enter the museum through a central atrium flanked on both sides by newly constructed wings. At the end of the entrance square is a low-glass entrance to the reconstructed factory hall, which was designed by architect Martin Lippold in the 1930s along the banks of the Aa River. Behind the museum, above the water level, is a cantilevered terrace for a restaurant, café, and a two-story bar. Gehry managed to preserve the character of the original building. The undulating façade of the newly added parts is clad in red-brown bricks, which are typical for the local region. Thin steel plates give the roofing a sense of lightness. The MARTa museum was opened to the public on May 7, 2005.