foster + partners’ design for einstein museum revealedimage courtesy of foster + partners

 

 

a joint venture between the president of israel, the office of the prime minister and the hebrew university of jerusalem, foster + partners has designed an open and airy concept for the einstein museum in jerusalem (part of the university’s mount scopus campus), which is set to provide a motivational learning center that celebrates the scientific and cultural impact that the german-born scientist has had on the world.

 

the british firm’s architectural impressions for the institution strongly emphasize light. this is expressed through the spherical volume which sits at the heart of the building. functioning as an amphitheatre, the open seating gallery is focused on a bed of gyroscopic mirrors which rotate and bounce sunlight off of their surfaces onto a dark screen, producing shows which will create the effect of a natural light star shining above the museum. in turn, the reflective surfaces create a canopy over an exhibition courtyard below. the fundamental theme of illumination is further demonstrated through the application of a different technique to brighten each exhibition space, unifying the interior as well as offering a brilliant showcase of albert einstein’s various scientific theories. the edifice of the structure is composed of profiled stone ribs which when approached from different viewpoints, reveal the image of albert einstein’s face. the museum is set to ‘shine a light’ on the achievements of this individual and the contributions which he has made to his field.

 

a series of development models of the building are on show in the royal academy of arts summer exhibition in london.