Museum Reinhard Ernst by Fumihimiko Maki Architects – © Reinhard & Sonja Ernst Foundation, all photos are by Helbig Marburger.

Architecture. The late Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki is known for unique buildings able to trigger social interaction while preserving the spirit of the place. His focus was never on the building or himself but, in the case of museums, on the art within and always on the visitor’s personal experience. The new Museum Reinhard Ernst is a perfect testament to the legacy of the Japanese architect, who passed away on June 6, just before the official opening.

• RELATED STORIES: Discover more museums with great architecture on Archipanic.

A simple, almost abstract cubic architecture clad in white granite yet open to the city ‘almost’ floats above the ground, creating a strolling street-level area that doubles as a meeting place for art education and events, an eatery, and a shop.

Above, two floors of natural light-flooded exhibition spaces house the broad collection of mid-century abstract paintings held by the Reinhard and Sonja Ernst Foundation.

Museum Reinhard Ernst features artworks by Wolfgang Tillmans, Helen Frankenthaler, Katharina Grosse, Bettina Pousttchi, and Tony Craggs, as well as a group of sculptures by Spanish sculptor Eduardo Chillida in the glazed inner courtyard.

Fumihiko Maki studied the art collection intensively and explored the surrounding area and the urban cultural space. He incorporated the street layout, the neighbourhood and even the building axes of the historical buildings opposite into his plans.

[su_image_carousel source=”media: 41337,41336″ limit=”0″ slides_style=”minimal” crop=”none” columns=”2″ spacing=”no” dots=”no” autoplay=”2″ speed=”immediate”]

The building’s white volume, resembling a sculpture made from giant sugar cubes, is sectioned into smaller rectangular blocks surrounding a central court.

Interior and exterior spaces blend seamlessly. The 6,000 sqm crystalline white building façade extends from the outside through the entrance area to the inner courtyard; dark green granite floors guide visitors throughout the building. Floor-to-ceiling windows fill the building with light, inviting you for art explorations.

“Museum building is community building.” Museum Reinhard Ernst reveals the ethical and social principles of Fumihiko Maki and Reinhard Ernst. “The world lost an outstanding architect, and I lost a very good friend,” said Reinhard Ernst, who commissioned Maki to design a community centre in Natori, Japan.

In the ‘60s, Fumihiko Maki co-founded the iconic Metabolism movement in Japan and built Tower Four at the World Trade Center in New York City and the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto. Until February 9, 2025, models of some of his most notable works are part of a tribute exhibition in the museum’s lobby.

All photos are by Helbig Marburger, © Reinhard & Sonja Ernst Foundation.