Fotografiska Announces Expansion to Berlin, Shanghai, and Miami – Becomes Largest Private Art Museum

Fotografiska Berlin will feature Herzog & de Meuron and Studio Aisslinger renovations of the historic former Kunsthaus Tacheles (built 1908); Fotografiska Miami will be housed within a Rockwell Group-renovated 1946 factory building across from Superblue and adjacent to the Rubell Museum; and Fotografiska Shanghai will make its home in a 1931 warehouse in the heart of a burgeoning riverfront cultural district.

Fotografiska is pleased to announce its expansion to three new locales: Berlin (opening Q3 2022), Shanghai (opening Q3 2022), and Miami (opening Q2 2023). Upon completion of the expansion, Fotografiska will become the world’s largest privately owned art museum by multiple measures, including number of locations; number of exhibitions produced per year; and total indoor size.

Each of the new museums will be housed within spectacular contemporary restorations of buildings that are either historically and architecturally significant themselves (Fotografiska Berlin will be in the magnificent building formerly known as Kunsthaus Tacheles, constructed in 1908 as a Jewish Quarter department store and situated adjacently to the New Synagogue) or characteristic of the neighborhood’s historical fabric (Fotografiska Miami’s new home was originally built in 1946 as a factory in a then-industrial subset of the Allapattah neighborhood). Fotografiska Shanghai, meanwhile, finds its home in a historically significant warehouse complex, next to the site of a pivotal moment in the 1937 Battle of Shanghai. Its location is within a rapidly developing cultural district unified by a pedestrian promenade similar to New York’s Highline. Leadership and curatorial plans for the new locations will be announced in the coming months.

Fotografiska’s plans for its Shanghai, Miami, and Berlin locations build upon the remarkable architecture of its three existing museums: Fotografiska New York is housed within the landmarked 1894 Renaissance Revival-style Church Missions House; Fotografiska Tallinn is in an 1890s factory building characteristic of the region’s historical fabric; and Fotografiska’s flagship Stockholm home is a landmarked former customs house built in 1906. Upon completion of its renovation, Fotografiska New York won an award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy for its “extraordinary contributions in preserving the city.” For its architecture and design projects, Fotografiska is intentional about combining internationally renowned names with up-and-coming local talents.

This global expansion follows the museum’s early-2021 merger with private work and social space, NeueHouse, and the formation of their parent company, CultureWorks. The three new locations will each embrace Fotografiska’s status as a museum experience for the modern world, combining immersive photography exhibition spaces with eclectic cultural programming, lively dining and drink establishments, and smartly curated museum shops.

"The concept for Fotografiska has always been to invite culturally curious audiences to view art in a welcoming environment," said Yoram Roth, Executive Chairman of CultureWorks. “At Fotografiska, we introduce hospitality and community into the overall experience, and know these feelings of belonging, connecting, and being inspired by photography will translate across the globe."

“It is a real honor to call these remarkable landmarks the dwellings of Fotografiska, and we are humbled by the opportunity to reimagine such important buildings,” said Josh Wyatt, CEO of Fotografiska. “We have been very intentional on our path toward global expansion, and have thoughtfully identified these cities for their flourishing cultural scenes, passion for photography, and forward-thinking attitudes on the future of immersive art experiences. We are thrilled to meet our new neighbors and guests.”

Fotografiska Berlin
Neighborhood: Mitte
Project firms: Herzog & de Meuron (Exterior rooftop extension and development plan of surrounding Am Tacheles locale); Studio Aisslinger (building interior)
Original construction: 1908
Size: 58,000 ft2 (5,400 m2)

Features: Six floors total; three floors of exhibition space, as well as an event hall, a restaurant, a bistro, a bakery, a lounge, the Museum Shop, and a rooftop bar. Building history and project notes: Fotografiska Berlin’s future home, the landmarked building formerly known as Kunsthaus Tacheles, was built in 1908 as a department store in the Jewish Quarter, and underwent a number of mostly-government uses before being abandoned and condemned around 1970. In 1990, a group of artists occupied it and saved it from imminent demolition, signifying the cultural revolution of Post-Wall Berlin. For Fotografiska Berlin, a pyramdical rooftop extension by Herzog & de Meuron will redefine the building’s silhouette and provide a contemporary beacon overlooking the vibrant historical district of Mitte, while Studio Aisslinger’s interior renovation will pay homage to the building, the Fotografiska brand, and region’s history through respectful preservation and thoughtful design incorporation of decades of graffiti.

Fotografiska Miami
Neighborhood: Allapattah
Project firm: Rockwell Group
Original construction: 1946
Size: 42,000 ft2 (3,900 m2)

Features: One floor, including four exhibition galleries; an event space; a restaurant/bar; the Museum Shop; a central courtyard and café; and a rooftop garden. Building history and project notes: In a midcentury warehouse next to the Rubell Museum and across from Superblue, Fotografiska Miami will be a new staple of the blooming contemporary art district in the neighborhood of Allapattah, west of Wynwood. Allapattah (a name derived from the Seminole word for alligator) is colorful and culturally diverse, and home to a thriving textile and garment district. Fotografiska Miami’s architects, Rockwell Group, will use the rectangular volume of the midcentury warehouse as a blank canvas, “creating a tapestry of layered planes that define paths of discovery, frame views, and create spaces of varying scale and character for visitors to encounter and create their own journeys.” Rockwell Group’s design promotes the vibrant energy of Allapattah, the building’s central courtyard functioning as an oasis in Miami's tropical climate where people and ideas mingle. Along the edges of the courtyard, perforated screens, planted trellises, and translucent glazing blur the distinction between interior and exterior, while colorful mosaics and native plantings call attention to reflecting pools and the garden bar. "Fotografiska’s expansion is a tremendous win for Miami," said Mera Rubell. "The world-class museum experience they have established through their existing locations will join the cultural destination we’ve created with our Museum and Superblue. Fotografiska is a perfect fit for the vibrant, multicultural nature of the city’s residents and visitors, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome Fotografiska Miami to the neighborhood."

Fotografiska Shanghai
Neighborhood: On the Suzhou Creek waterfront, a rapidly developing cultural district unified by a pedestrian promenade
Project firm: Neri&Hu (building interior)
Original construction: 1931
Size: 50,000 ft2 (4,630 m2)

Features: Four floors total; two floors of exhibition space, as well as an event space, a restaurant, the Museum Shop, and rooftop lounge and bar including a retractable outdoor space. Building history and project notes: Fotografiska Shanghai will be housed within one of four waterfront historical warehouses that were built in the early twentieth century as reception hubs for goods brought into Shanghai from the city of Suzhou. The classified historical building adopts the period industrial design, including two magnificent staircases that will be a preeminent feature of the site. Additional details will be announced in the coming months.

ABOUT FOTOGRAFISKA

Fotografiska is a museum experience for the modern world. Founded in Stockholm in 2010, Fotografiska is a destination to discover world-class photography, eclectic programming, elevated dining and surprising new perspectives. Guided by a mission to inspire a more conscious world through the power of photography, Fotografiska produces dynamic and unparalleled rotating exhibitions, spanning various photographic genres, in inclusive and immersive environments. With a dedicated international community and locations in Stockholm, New York City, and Tallinn, Fotografiska is the premier global gathering place for photography and culture.

www.fotografiska.com | @fotografiska

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