The Joanneum Universal Museum, Austria’s oldest public museum – and the biggest multidisciplinary museum in central Europe, is undergoing extensive renovations in honor of its 200th anniversary, reports Routard.
Spread across 12 locations in four cities, two of the main buildings in the city of Graz are being overhauled for the occasion.
Architects Nieto Sobejano & eep architekten are undertaking the project, which is expected to be finished by November. Their winning design includes an underground entrance inspired by the reception area of the Louvre, and will open a passage between the two museum buildings and the Styrian Provincial Library.
The museum, with its collection of over 4.5 million items, currently attracts about 500,000 visitors a year.
The Joanneum was first opened in 1811, a joint venture between the state of Styria and Archduke Johann of Austria.
The Archduke was a proponent of the Enlightenment movement and wanted to bring together items that "nature, the changing times, human industry and perseverance have created, that teachers of the various public institutions instil into the enquiring minds of their pupils. It must bring these things to life and thereby make learning easier [and] stimulate a thirst for knowledge."