Cloud pleaser

Blue-sky thinking elevates a purpose-built gallery for the Froehlich Foundation's art collection near Stuttgar

- HILI PERLSON

An industrial park on the outskirts of Stuttgart is the rather unlikely location for one of Germany’s newest architectural gems. Designed by Gabriele Glöckler to house a private art collection managed by the Froehlich Foundation, it’s home to hundreds of modern artworks by mostly German and American artists including Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys, Anselm Kiefer and Gerhard Richter.

It was Josef Froehlich’s wish that his art collection did not languish in storage, wrapped up and tucked away. To achieve that, the climate- and light-controlled building had to be conceived of as a modestlysized private museum, which can be visited by appointment. The task fell to Glöckler, who won long overdue recognition in 2011 when her quietly sophisticated design for the National Library in Leipzig extension was rewarded with the city’s Architekturpreis.