B+P ARCHITECTS

The Age of Steam - Floating Objects

Curves and transparent boxes – they bring the exhibits, one by one, into the building. The old structure is a key aspect of the objects’ presentation. The curves, boxes, and light guide us through historical contexts and facilitates our dialogue with historical spaces.

Through exhibition planning and the exhibits themselves, the design reflects the arrangement of the bathhouse structure. To present the historic architecture – the centerpiece of the exhibition – in the best possible way was mission-critical, and for this purpose, we integrated architectural highlights, restored objects, and historical contexts into the venue.

Based on the qualities of being light, transparent, and subdued, the curved table on the west side connects the axis with the hand wash basin and points to the objects on the trusses - creating an architectural exhibit that offers information linearly. The exhibit on the east side is a recreation of life in the bathhouse. The restored old cabinets and the new cabinets holding artifacts become vessels jointly carrying the history of the Railway Workshop. In this way, the light, transparent glass boxes lift their contents and allow them to be gazed upon, while the emptiness in the central bath, the installation, the mist, and the lively history of the setting all engage in gentle dialogue.