The Subterranean Solution

Conical glass light funnels are embedded flush into the paved surface of this quiet urban courtyard, with one central funnel containing an escalator descending into the floor. Opened in November 2011 to mark the bicentenary of the Joanneum museum, this plaza was designed by Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos alongside eep architekten. Faced with the challenge of expanding museum facilities without cluttering the historic courtyard with an above-ground building, the architects drove the entire 10-meter-deep visitor center, entrance hall, and library storage subterraneanly. Daylight filters deep below through double-curved conical glass wells. This subterranean intervention demonstrates how contemporary urban design can dramatically expand public infrastructure while preserving the open sky of historic courtyards.