Museum of Architectural Drawing

15. May 2023

Tchoban Foundation – Museum of Architectural Drawing in Prenzlauer Berg

f you want to discover modern design and architecturally unusual buildings in Berlin, you can't avoid a visit to the Tchoban Foundation – Museum of Architectural Drawing! The building, which is part of the Pfefferberg area in Prenzlauer Berg, was built twisted in glass and concrete. In addition to the modern, unusual design, the structure of the concrete facade is particularly striking. Colored and three-dimensionaly embossed structures give the material a lively impression on the outside and inside.

The graphic embossing was also transferred to the large-format hand-carved walnut wall panels and fixtures in the entrance hall, repeating the patterning of the exterior façade on other materials inside. The glass surfaces visible on the street façade conceal small light-flooded rooms inside, where one can let one’s gaze wander outward over Teutoburger Platz as well as into the stairwell, which was also designed in the style of the exterior façade.

Every nook and cranny of this building was designed and implemented by Berlin and Moscow-based architect Sergei Tchoban, who works together with Sergey Kuznetsov (SPEECH Tchoban & Kuznetsov architectural office).

Current exhibition “InsulaE” about the architect Aldo Rossi (1931-1997)

Inside, without any daylight to protect the collection from damaging sunlight, the exhibition rooms are located on 2 floors. Currently works by Italian architect Aldo Rossi (1931-1997) are on display until May 15, 2023. The exhibition “Insulae” refers to the traditional construction of ancient Roman dwellings (insulae), which characterized Rossi’s work and were his distinctive signature.

Rossi was closely connected with Berlin and realized some unique projects in the capital. The Italian architect found inspiration for his work in works by Baroque artists such as Giovanni Battista Piransesi and in buildings from earlier centuries. While some of his drawings, such as ideas for the German Historical Museum, remained merely sketches, his building ensemble on Schützenstrasse in Berlin, with its four courtyards, was realized. Parts of the remaining facades, which are protected as historic monuments, were integrated into the facade. The house at Schützenstrasse 8 was given a shortened, faithful copy of Michelangelo’s courtyard facade from the Palazzo Farnese in Rome as its facade.