Mother of Pearl Museum in Adorf in Vogtland | EUROtoday

Mother of pearl: that feels like jewellery containers, buttons, even grandmother’s cutlery drawer. Few individuals know that this shimmering materials is as a lot part of the Upper Vogtland as mountaineering tourism and musical instrument making. Architect Ansgar Schulz additionally had no concept in regards to the once-thriving mother-of-pearl business in Adorf earlier than his Leipzig workplace Schulz & Schulz took half in a European architectural competitors for the Perlmutter journey museum in Adorf, which it then gained. Until then, he had solely seen the shiny materials from shirt buttons. In a method, that is becoming, as a result of Schulz seems to be in a rush – like virtually everybody who was concerned within the challenge within the city of 4,600 and accomplished it in simply 5 years. The journey museum opened its doorways on the finish of September 2025.

It’s not simply the exhibition about freshwater pearl mussels, pearl fishing and mother-of-pearl artwork that is price a go to. The architectural design of the museum constructing can also be designed to draw guests. Anyone coming from town heart with its picturesque half-timbered homes and stepping by the final remaining metropolis gate from 1778 will instantly discover the massive concrete shell of the brand new museum.

Schulz studies that it was a problem to direct the circulation of tourists to the museum past town wall. That’s why the constructing leans in direction of the guests and tilts in direction of the road. “It beckons a bit,” says the architect and smiles. The realization of the double-curved so-called hypar shell was a technical problem. Only a couple of building firms in Germany nonetheless grasp this know-how. But an organization was present in close by Lengenfeld that would understand the architects’ concepts.

Despite its putting presence, the concrete constructing solely makes up a fifth of the complete museum, which was based in 1955 as a neighborhood historical past museum and was expanded to incorporate a mother-of-pearl assortment within the Nineteen Nineties. It is flanked on the correct by town gate and on the left by a half-timbered constructing. One situation for the brand new museum constructing was clear from the beginning: the historic metropolis wall needed to be preserved. A bit of her was due to this fact uncovered within the entrance space and thus built-in into the museum constructing. The coronary heart of the museum is a shiny patio in good white, into which daylight flows and which may be illuminated with synthetic gentle if obligatory. It connects the previous and the brand new constructing and opens up the three exhibition ranges.

Here, museum director Steffen Dietz welcomes the guests, introduces them to the historical past of the mother-of-pearl business and solutions a query proper in the beginning that considerations virtually all guests: Why does the title of the museum say mother-of-pearl and never mother-of-pearl? “The freshwater pearl mussel is the mother of pearls,” explains Dietz. Other languages ​​are extra constant: Mother of Pearl is named in English, madreperla in Italian.

Not everybody from Adorf was capable of instantly get used to the contrasts between previous and new, rugged and superb, large and delicate when the successful design was chosen. Some would have preferred a brand new constructing within the acquainted half-timbered type, says museum director Dietz. But the grey concrete shell is now the spotlight of the museum. Similar to a tough mussel shell, the concrete facade protects the dear displays inside.

The affiliation with a mussel shell was supposed by architect Schulz. During the competitors, he mentioned, he drove alone to Adorf to absorb the vacant lot and the historic buildings. “It rained wonderfully that day,” he says. “Then I knew: This is it! Just as the shell lies in a river or stream bed, the shell of the house must also be covered by water.” Every half hour, water runs down the facade and collects in a small fountain to the left of the doorway, from the place it’s pumped again up. A closed circuit, modeled on nature. When the solar hits the water-wetted floor, it shimmers like mother-of-pearl and is a well-liked picture alternative for vacationers.

But the museum shouldn’t solely be paying homage to a shell by its formal language. Museum director Steffen Dietz goes one step additional: “At best, the museum visitor feels like a little shell,” he says on the higher flooring of the historic previous constructing. Here the customer immerses himself within the immersive exhibition: the partitions and ceiling of the room are enveloped in a smooth blue by a transferring water set up, it gurgles and splashes.

Through video movies, audio tracks and interactive touchscreens you possibly can study extra in regards to the habitat of the freshwater pearl mussel and its menace from local weather change, water air pollution and invasive animal species. In order to reintroduce the endangered freshwater pearl mussel to the area, the museum itself is concerned in renaturation tasks. Because the mussel, which seems inconspicuous on the surface, is a rare animal that must be preserved, says Dietz after which goes on to say: “Ultimately, this can be applied to all of humanity. Because even inconspicuous people are often something very special.”

This message and the brand new museum are nicely obtained by the individuals in Adorf. Since its opening, many voters have provided the museum further objects: cutlery, jewellery and on a regular basis objects that had been forgotten in a drawer for a very long time. But there’s not sufficient house to point out all of the items, says Dietz. He is due to this fact already planning particular exhibitions, for instance about mother-of-pearl cutlery and meals tradition within the higher Vogtland.

On the market sq., an older couple studies on their impressions. Of course they have been already there. And they actually loved it. The kids from the close by main faculty are additionally enthusiastic. A lady raves a few sport during which she needed to search for digital shell beads. In nature, solely about each two thousandth shell has a pearl on it, however on the display each third has it. And the facade? “Cool,” say the kids. Especially the fountain, which is so good to splash round in.

For architect Schulz, a museum should perform primarily as an exhibition house, but it surely must also be a spot for encounters. This is especially essential for a small city in rural East Germany. Because that is the place the general public comes collectively. Many individuals use the phrase “lighthouse” after they discuss in regards to the new museum constructing in Adorf. It is a challenge that they hope will present impetus for the event of the area.

It’s not simply the proximity to the Czech Republic and the enlargement of mountaineering and biking paths that make the higher Vogtland increasingly attention-grabbing for vacationers. With the spa city of Bad Elster and the neighboring city of Markneukirchen, a historic heart of musical instrument making, there are two different engaging tour locations within the fast neighborhood, says Hermann Ruderisch. He is chairman of the Perlmuttermuseum Adorf help affiliation and was considerably concerned in sustaining the dialogue between museum staff, politicians, architects and the Adorf inhabitants.

The new constructing value round 5 million euros, financed primarily by state and federal funds, together with the National Urban Development Projects program. A big sum for a small city. For architect Schulz, nonetheless, the constructing was constructed “for negligible money,” which was as a result of shut cooperation between town, architects, building firms and the inhabitants.

Mayor Rico Schmidt is already seeing the primary results. Adorf was neglected for a very long time regardless of its location between two federal highways. But there are actually a couple of causes to show off the B 92. With the participation of the Technical University of Dresden, a decentralized museum is being deliberate that may make details about the mother-of-pearl business digitally tangible outdoors of the museum constructing.

The retail sector can also be discovering the potential of the subject: the flower store has already considered an association with a mother-of-pearl look, the butcher is planning a mother-of-pearl brawn and the bakery might be providing mother-of-pearl pastries sooner or later, studies Schmidt. With the help of a non-public affiliation, the home of the Trampeli organ constructing household, whose devices are identified nationwide, can also be being renovated. It can also be hoped that this can entice new guests to Adorf.

A tour of the encompassing space makes it clear how robust the modern architectural accent is that the brand new constructing of the Perlmuttermuseum units right here. Since the top of the Thirty Years’ War, musical devices have been manufactured within the higher Vogtland, within the so-called musicians’ nook, which helped the area achieve fame and prosperity. Stately homes within the Neo-Baroque and Art Nouveau types characterize the area: for instance the König Albert Theater in Bad Elster, constructed in the course of the spa city’s heyday in the beginning of the twentieth century. Or the entrepreneurial villa Merz in neighboring Markneukirchen. Once a house for rich musical instrument sellers, it now homes the rooms for the musical instrument making course at Zwickau University.

In addition to the pompous Wilhelminian type homes, the medieval half-timbered homes and the historicist residential buildings from the early twentieth century, the concrete shell of the journey museum gives a counterpoint. Visitors from Chemnitz, Zwickau, Dresden and Leipzig, but additionally from Hamburg and even Israel, have signed the visitor ebook, which is obtainable on the patio. There is discuss of a “gem” and a “successful combination of old and new”. “We need this uniqueness,” says Mayor Schmidt. Nobody involves small Adorf for the standard museum about Perlmutter. “We can score points with such extraordinary architecture.”

If you look carefully, you’ll discover the primary traces of moss on the moist concrete bowl. For museum director Dietz, this isn’t a flaw. On the opposite: the natural patina tells of the interplay between nature and tradition, of the atmosphere and structure. Like the freshwater pearl mussel within the stream, this home can also be topic to alter. Through the interplay of sunshine, concrete and water, it reacts to its environment, is a paddling pool for youngsters, an attraction for vacationers and a lighthouse for the higher Vogtland.