Uphill Battle for New Bauhaus Museum Director

The Bauhaus Museum Dessau’s new director and the first woman to hold the post, Claudia Perren, took office this week amid a flurry of challenges, Die Welt reports. Principle among them: how to build a third museum building when Dessau residents have strongly opposed the project and accusations of overspending by the institution have already begun to ring out.

According to reports, the third building is expected to be completed ahead of the Bauhaus’ 100th anniversary in 2019. Currently the Dessau location of the Bauhaus Foundation cannot fully present its collections to the public due to lacking space. Weimar will also see a new Bauhaus museum built in time for the anniversary—plans indicate a move-in set for later this year. The museum has been housed in a former coach house since 1995.

Five years may seem to be ample time to get the work done in Dessau. Architectural plans have already been drawn up. But, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk reports that the plans are over budget by an estimated €5 million. And the museum looks potentially to be without a plot of land on which to construct the building regardless of funds.

Citizens of Dessau, a former industrial center of East German, have fought ardently against the museum’s expansion being built within the city’s park—consequently the exact space intended for the expansion. Two other sites were previously floated in front of the Board of Trustees. But Dessau mayor Peter Kuras told the radio station that he fears that the federal government might pull funding for the third building, should the location be brought up for discussion once again. Regardless, if further negotiations were to take place, they would certainly place a significant time pressure on the building’s construction.