PANEUM, the ‘House of Bread’ of Coop Himmelb(l)au

PANEUM, Wunderkammer des brotes, Asten, Austria (2014-2017), ©COOP HIMMELB(L)AU

 PANEUM, Wunderkammer des brotes
 the ‘House of bread’ by Coop Himmelb(l)au

Designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au and located in Asten, northern Austria, PANEUM, wunderkammer des Brotes is a sort of ‘cabinet of wonder’ dedicated to the history of bread.

Commissioned by Backaldrin, a leading company in the flour and baking ingredients industry, the four-story building – housing an information center and an exhibition venue – is composed, both conceptually and formally, of two volumes stacked on one another: a lower box housing the entrance space and a space for special events, and a fluidly organic construction, entitled “Wunderkammer des Brotes” (Cabinet of Bread’s Wonder) accommodating the main exhibition galleries.
The strong contrast between these two main elements is further emphasized by their materials: While the base box is made of bare concrete, the exhibition building is characterized by a glue-laminated timber structure and a stainless steel cladding.

PANEUM, Wunderkammer des brotes, Asten, Austria (2014-2017), ©COOP HIMMELB(L)AU. Sections.

PANEUM, Wunderkammer des brotes, Asten, Austria (2014-2017), © COOP HIMMELB(L)AU

The exhibition space is the centerpiece of the House of Bread; its conceptual model, inspired by wunderkammers – the cabinet of curiosities popular among the wealthy collectors of the 17th and 18th centuries who used them to display ensembles of extraordinary objects – is thoroughly appropriate for an exhibition based on small unconventional objects such as those related to the history of bread-making, some of which date back to the 14th century.

A large rotunda space forms the building core, where various pieces from the collection are displayed in glass cases suspended at different heights like giant chandeliers.
This vertically-oriented installation forms the visual pivot of the museum and can be seen by the visitors from different viewpoints from the helix stairway.
The stair also leads to two levels of galleries where artifacts are displayed on walls, tables, and glass cabinets integrated into the museum’s architecture.
PANEUM opened to the public in 2017.

PANEUM, Wunderkammer des brotes, Asten, Austria (2014-2017), ©COOP HIMMELB(L)AU

PANEUM, Wunderkammer des brotes, Asten, Austria (2014-2017) ©COOP HIMMELB(L)AU. Render.

PANEUM, Wunderkammer des brotes, Asten, Austria (2014-2017) ©COOP HIMMELB(L)AU. Site plan.