An exhibition about new additions to an archive? “A dusty cellar and old models, yawn,” was my first thought. But no! The exhibition “New Neighbors—Insights into the Archive” at the Architecture Museum in Munich shows a variety of different projects, models, beautiful drawings and films about the process of collecting precious treasures, all those that have found their way into the archive of the Architecture Museum at the Technical University of Munich in recent years.

Rarely has an archival exhibition been so exciting. Individual groups of tables are ordered in height throughout the three galleries and spotlighted. It includes projects by architects such as Hans Döllgast or Herbert Groethuysen whose models themselves were donated by a kind soul to the museum and found their way into the exhibition. But there are also current new models from Pritzker laureate Francis Kéré whose social architecture as well as landscape architecture open up a new perspective for the archive by including architecture of geographies and creators who are historically underrepresented in museum collections.

Inviting and full of attention to detail, it is a must-see for any architecture lover. No double standards, no deeply hidden theme, just a beautiful exhibition. Now I’m actually looking forward to the next exhibition of acquisitions—maybe in 10 years? 

cf.