LUMEN Museum
Location Kronplatz Bruneck, South Tyrol, Italy Architect Gio Forma & EM2 Architekten Completion 2018
The LUMEN Museum on Kronplatz is a relatively new building erected on the grounds of a rich alpinism history. Gio Forma & EM2 Architekten built this modern museum in honor of mountain photography on the foundations of the old 1963 cable car station. The museum is designed according to the principles of a residential building and serves as a comforting shelter for its visitors. The building is connected to a restaurant that floats on two columns above Kronplatz. It has only two concrete beams for the roof and floor slab, which give support to this airy space. Its huge panoramic window offers a view of the Dolomites on three sides.
Architecture suspended above the mountains
In a way, the LUMEN Museum feels like a departure from the more “traditional” modern alpine architecture projects I have photographed in the past. This elegant, modern structure is clad in massive, monochrome plastered walls. It feels like a cross between a bright white snowfield and a large gift box resting on the mountainside. Despite heavy materials such as concrete and metal, the LUMEN Museum and the attached AlpiNN restaurant seem to float effortlessly above the summit of Kronplatz.
To convey this floating feeling, I chose perspectives that allow the structure to float above the peaks in the background. I created tight compositions that show just enough context to allow the viewer to immerse themselves in the scene – and to understand LUMEN's relationship to its surroundings – without showing the entire structure at once or revealing too much of the building's mystery. The result is a series of intimate exterior shots that entice the viewer to learn more about the magic that surrounds this beautiful piece of modern alpine architecture.
A tribute to alpine photography
The LUMEN Museum tells the story of mountain photography on 1,800 square meters. The large exhibition area extends from the ground floor to under the roof over four floors. No matter where you stand in this vast space, there is something to discover behind every wall. The geometry of the building design draws the viewer into its individual spaces, where they can view the art and exhibits in peace. On the monochrome walls hangs the art of mountain photographers from all over the world, drawing the viewer in before they look out at the Dolomites with their own eyes through the next window.
In my photographs, I have endeavored to show the complex, tiered structure of the exhibition area while maintaining a sense of security and warmth. It was also important to me to create a visual “path” that guides the viewer's eye through the exhibits to help them understand the scene.
Photographing LUMEN's Hall of Mirrors
When photographing this outstanding example of alpine architecture, one of the biggest challenges I encountered was working while the LUMEN Museum was open. Setting up a bulky tripod was not an option during operating hours. So I took all the pictures by hand, taking care not to interfere with the visitors' experience. Another challenge was photographing one of the museum's most interesting rooms – a completely mirrored room. Here, huge screen walls are endlessly repeated in the mirrored floors, ceilings and walls. It was difficult to photograph here because there was nowhere to hide. But the immersive feeling of standing in this room was incredible. It was one of my favorite aspects of this project.
Image Editing
Apart from my typical exposure blending and general color corrections, one of the biggest tasks I had to deal with during the post-processing of the LUMEN exterior photos was removing all the unsightly objects outside. Blemishes, stickers and equipment were removed from the scene. Reconstructing the area in front of the windows was an extremely time-consuming task, but necessary to showcase the beauty of the museum.
The Art of the Mountain
The LUMEN Museum strives to present the art of the mountain, both through its photographic exhibitions and through the architecture itself. The museum floats in the sky in front of the visitor, offering a wide view over the Dolomites. Here you can experience for yourself the magical attraction that has inspired so many photographic works in the Alps. The architecture is truly a celebration of construction, art and alpinism. It was simply a great experience and a great pleasure to photograph the LUMEN Museum itself!
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