The town of Adorf is facing the typical challenges of rural regions: an ageing and declining population, a loss of attractiveness as a place to live and work, and the resulting difficult economic conditions. The municipality is actively addressing this transformation through improvements to infrastructure and educational facilities. The new Mother-of-Pearl Museum represents a flagship project for both the town and the wider region, intended to serve as a point of identification and a catalyst for positive development. Nowhere else in the world does a museum of this kind exist dedicated to freshwater pearl mussels, pearl fishing, and the production of mother-of-pearl goods. Adorf seeks to use this unique feature as an attractive and distinctive asset in actively shaping structural change. The site for the new building was previously a vacant lot of poor spatial quality and limited value for public use. The incorporated existing buildings were partly unused and at risk of decay. Their preservation and adaptive reuse have helped to stabilise and strengthen the local context.
The intervention has created a vibrant place that enhances both its immediate surroundings and, through its proximity to the market square and town hall, the entire town centre. The integration of the historic city wall into the museum’s patio makes the town’s history tangible and experientially accessible.
Schulz und Schulz Architekten, Erlebnismuseum Perlmutter Adorf/Vogtland
Hardcover, 21 x 24 cm
40 pages
German, English
ISBN 978-3-86905-050-8
www.axelmenges.de