New museum of contemporary art, designed by David Chipperfield Architects, to open in Slovenian mountains

A new museum of contemporary art will open in the Slovenian town of Bled next summer, designed by the British architecture firm David Chipperfield Architects.

Nestled in the shadow of the 11th century Bled Castle, the oldest in Slovenia, the Muzej Lah will house the Fundacija Lah art collection, built over 30 years by Slovenia’s sixth richest family, Igor and Mojca Lah.

The collection includes over 800 post-war works by more than 100 artists, including the German painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer, the South African artist William Kentridge and the Slovenian printmaker Zoran Mušič. It also includes works from Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK), which translates from German as New Slovenian Art, a political art collective that formed in Slovenia in 1984. NSK’s name was chosen to reflect the theme of the sometimes fraught relationship between Slovenia and Germany, including its annexation by the Nazis and being part of the Habsburg Empire for 700 years.

Igor Lah, the president of the Swiss glass packaging company Vaider Group, told The Art Newspaper: “Mojca and I have always hoped that the Fundacija Lah art collection would one day be shared with others. Creating a museum where this collection can inspire dialogue and connection has long been a dream, a space where both the local community and visitors are invited to actively engage with some of the most important artists of the last century.”

The new 5000 sq. m museum building, which will be surrounded by Lake Bled and the Julian Alps, has been designed by David Chipperfield Architects, the firm founded by the the Pritzker Prize winning British architect, David Chipperfield. Some of the buildings he is best known for include the Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach, Germany; the Des Moines Public Library in Iowa, USA and The Hepworth Wakefield gallery in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

He said the natural surroundings of the museum informed the structure’s appearance. “The location of the museum in the beautiful landscape near Bled Castle inspired our design approach,” he explained.

“The various volumes of the building are unified by a series of sloping tiled roofs that tie the museum into its hillside setting. The building is defined by a series of rooms, courtyards and terraces that both create an ideal setting for the collection and give the visitor a strong sense of the surrounding landscape.”

The museum will comprise a library, research centre and restaurant as well as galleries capable of accommodating exhibitions, performances, concerts, film screenings, and educational initiatives.

Lah said: “We sought an architect whose work, which we have long admired, embodies principles and values we share and hold dear—discourse, clarity, rigour, and quiet power. From the very beginning, there was no question in our minds that it had to be David. It is a true honour to be working with someone whose architecture speaks so profoundly to the spirit of art and place.”