The Kallmann Museum is one of the most prominent buildings in Ismaning, next to the castle and the water tower that can be seen from afar. With its demanding program and its attractive location in the middle of the Ismaninger Schlosspark, the museum has made a name for itself well beyond the district borders as a special exhibition space for contemporary and modern art. The building is now getting ready for new challenges: from September 2022 to probably summer 2023, the building will be comprehensively modernized. The municipality bears a large part of the costs.
The construction work should actually have started last year, but a combination of the pandemic, uncertain financial planning and a change in the experts involved pushed the project back by a year. For Rasmus Kleine, who has been running the museum, which is funded by a foundation, since 2013, this is no reason to worry. “I think we’re going to get a very good result now,” he says of the plans. “This is another step towards a bright future for the Kallmann Museum.”
Proud host: Rasmus Kleine, head of the Kallmann Museum in the Ismaninger Schlosspark.
(Photo: Catherine Hess)
The museum was opened in 1992 to present the work of the painter Hans Jürgen Kallmann (1908 to 1991) as well as modern and contemporary artists and to preserve his legacy. It resides in the replica of a neoclassical orangery, which was located in the Ismaninger Schlosspark until 1983. In the 30 years of its existence, the building has hardly been renewed. Some upgrades have therefore become necessary, for example in the room climate and fire protection. The operators around museum director Kleine wanted to use this opportunity to comprehensively modernize the house – which was conceived primarily as an exhibition space for the works of a painter – and also to make it easier to use for modern forms of representation such as video art.
The conversions are twice as expensive as estimated and amount to around three million euros
Probably the most obvious change will be that the inner courtyard, which was previously open, will be given a roof and thus become another exhibition space with a room height of up to five meters, which opens up a great deal of design freedom. He will continue to be available for concerts. In addition, the previous floors and the dark counter in the foyer will be replaced. The rooms are to be cooled using electricity generated by photovoltaics. The Kallmann Museum will also look different from the outside and create an even closer visual connection to the palace gardens: the plans by Venus Architekten from Munich envisage designing the forecourt between the main entrance and the grown labyrinth with trees and tables. An outdoor space with a green roof, so to speak. A catering service operated by the museum is to provide the appropriate food and drinks.
Bright and spacious: This is what the new central room could look like after the modernization. Model: Venus Architects
According to current estimates, the costs for the modernization amount to almost three million euros – the first rough estimate was based on a good half; the amount will be covered by the foundation with its own funds, grants and loans from the KfW development bank; the municipality of Ismaning is supporting the project with a good 1.6 million euros.