Thomas Schütte Foundation / Sculpture Hall in Neuss

The latest addition to the Hombroich Art Foundation complex is an exhibition building for the German sculptor Thomas Schütte. The oval building, covered by an earthen mound from the north, is situated between the former NATO rocket base and a group of brick houses by Danish sculptor Per Kirkeby. Across the road stands the concrete obelisk 'Begiari' by Eduardo Chillida, which this Basque sculptor completed a year before his death.
Thomas Schütte, the main author of the oval exhibition hall, never studied architecture but designed an ice pavilion for 'documenta 8' in Kassel in the 1980s. Since then, he has built approximately five vacation houses and habitable installations. An experienced local studio, RKW Architektur +, was invited to realize the project, and together with Thomas Schütte, they came up with a total of four variants over three years. Ultimately, the working title 'matchbox with a potato chip,' reminiscent of Duchamp's ready-made installations, won out. Schütte had to approve not only the final appearance but also every detail of the building, including the final designs of the switches and electrical outlets.
The building is primarily intended for exhibiting sculptures, as the author did not want any holes drilled into the curved exterior walls of exposed concrete. Schütte felt there was not enough space for sculptures throughout the Hombroich complex, which, according to him, could not shine in the Heerich small cubes. In addition to the oval hall on the ground floor, the museum houses an office for the curator, a ticket sales desk, a library, and above all, a vast archive hidden underground. The museum is operated by Schütte's foundation, which will manage the collections even after the artist's death.