Originally, the building in downtown Cologne, near the Cologne Cathedral, housed the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum and the Museum Ludwig. Architect Rudolf Schwarz constructed the building between 1953 and 1957, and since 1989 the museum building has been home to the Museum of Applied Arts. (Founded in 1888 as the "Kunstgewerbe-Museum" and until then located in various places in the city). With the arrival of the MAKK, world-renowned collections of arts and crafts objects can now be found here. The exhibits are as diverse as life itself: Sometimes dainty and delicate, sometimes with a loud appearance with the height of three floors.

For Buschfeld, the collaboration with the MAKK began in 2017, with the lighting of the exhibition "Full House: Design by Stefan Diez" in the large exhibition hall and parts of the first and second floors. (more >) 

Spring 2023 - after extensive renovations, the rooms of the MAKK's Graphic Arts Collection are ready for visitors and researchers. Our project is located right here.

The two main tasks formulated for a new lighting system were:

To reflect the size of the room. At the same time, to emphasize the floor plan without interfering with the exhibition concept. To create pleasant basic lighting and to make temporary additions flexible and easy. - The choice fell on 2 rectangles that span the length of the hall. One lighting system hangs as pendant tracks from the hall ceiling. (see special suspension) The two long sides of the rectangle are connected by several cross tracks. The suspended structure thus gives itself more support; on the other hand, additional luminaires can be used in this grid. Under the gallery, the structure is repeated, but here as a ceiling track system.

The special challenge was the attachment of the wire suspensions for the large lighting track structure in the middle of the hall. The specification was: the ceiling with its ribs, which is a listed building, must be protected at all costs, so no drilling is allowed! The solution: clamps specially made for this project, which are pushed onto the ceiling ribs from below and fixed in place. One advantage: together, the lighting track and spotlight have a very low weight. The distribution over several suspension points makes this type of mounting possible.

Track system 1: Pend48 suspended tracks, rectangular with cross braces, 26 m x 1.6 m
Custom-made: drill-free installation, tensioning collars specially developed for the historical ceiling ribs, as well as cable suspension in special lengths
Surface: white
Power: 2 x 600 W (system divided into two separate circuits)

Track system 2: ceiling tracks fixed under gallery, Ceiling48, rectangle with cross struts, 26 x 1.6 m
Fastening: Ceiling Standard 6 mm
Surface: white
Power: 2 x 600 W (system divided into two separate circuits)

Luminaires: Ninety-Five S directional spots, 3000 K, beam angle 9° with Soraa Snap System and filters & honeycomb louvre
Lighting control: Xicato

Visit the Museum of Applied Art Cologne on site:
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, An der Rechtschule 7, D - 50667 Cologne
or make a digital visit: www.makk.de

about the museum´s history: www.makk.de/history
about the house architecture: www.makk.de/Architecture



More to see more, more to learn, more Buschfeld:
Inspiration | Projects
How it Works | Ceiling Track System Ceiling48
How it Works | Pendelschienen Pend48
Products | Luminiaires: Ninety-Five S