Penn Museum Masterplan
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
2005-2007
David Chipperfield Architects have completed a one year masterplan study for the future developement of Penn Museum, the University of Pennsylvania’s museum of archaeology and anthropology in Philadelphia. Both the museum and the University’s Anthropology department occupy the existing museum complex – a collection of buildings stemming from Wilson Eyre’s original 1899 building – a Philadelphia historic landmark – and expanded in five later stages up to 2004. Currently occupying over 30000 square metres, the museum has over one million artefacts in its collections, acquired largely …

Private House in Port Isaac
Cornwall, UK
2005-2007
The project is a holiday home for a London-based family. It comprises the refurbishment of a 200 square metre Victorian end of terrance house in Port Isaac, North Cornwall, including a new garden terrace, soft landscaping, and a new garage. Due to a steep difference in level across the site, the main living accommodation is raised to the first floor, allowing level access to a new garden terrace, linked to the house by a bridge.
The living spaces and master bedroom are oriented to enjoy uninterrupted …

Museum of Modern Literature
Marbach am Neckar, Germany
2002-2006
Winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize 2007
The museum is located in Marbach’s secenic park, on top of a rock plateau overlooking the valley of the Neckar River. As the birthplace of the dramatist Friedrich Schiller, the town’s park already held the National Schiller Museum, built in 1903, and the Archive for German Literature, built in the 1970s. Displaying artefacts from the extensive 20th century collection from the Archive for German Literature, notably the original manuscripts of Franz Kafka’s ‘The Trial’ and Alfred Doeblin’s ‘Berlin …

Koening Books
Charing Cross Road, London, UK
2006
Koening Books is a specialist contemporary art bookseller, occupying the site of the former Zwemmer bookshop in Charing Cross Road, London, a neighbourhood of specialist booksellers.
The project respects the store’s urban context and reflects the unique character of the Koening family business. While the original Victorian facade has been retained, the interior has been completely rebuilt, maximising the space available on the ground and basement floors and improving circulation.
A single surface treatment to floor, walls and stairs of black stained oak, imbued with contemporary and …

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2004-2006
The new offices for the law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer are located in an existing freestanding building. The project sought to provide a feeling of quality as well as inspiration for employees and clients alike, and to promote the visibility of the practice whilst mainstaining its privacy and professionalism. The building is located between the new Amsterdam World Trade Centre, a dynamic cluster of new towers, and a residential neighbourhood of modest mid-century villas.
The project was initially an office interior design project and grew into an …

Des Moines Public Library
Des Moines, lowa, USA
2001-2006
The library forms an integral part of the new Des Moines “Western Gateway Park”. This area of the city is currently undergoing extensive redevelopment and the new library and park are the centrepiece for the urban renewal of Des Moines.
Located at the east end of the park, the new library acts as a link between downtown Des Moines and the park. On the one hand, it responds to the city block, but at the same time it stretches out into the parkland, floating in …