The basis for the design of the Textile Museum is a meticulous analysis of the building’s history, the local culture, and heritage. The Museum is located in the “Palazzo Rosso”, an old building that once was a lace factory in the heart of the city of St. Gallen and it is strongly connected to the city and its history. There are significant buildings in the surrounding area, such as the church of St. Laurenzen or the town hall, which are typical features of the city as well as the Textile Museum. These buildings in the city have a direct visual relationship with each other. The individual windows are deliberately placed at these points, with a view to the other urban landmarks.

The vertical building extension consists of a large contiguous showroom, which is optically divided into three volumes - a continuation of the division below from the “Palazzo Rosso”. The proposed facade is inspired by fashion design, particularly the aesthetics of filtrage-layered collections of Elie Saab, where the transparency and opaque concepts are key. It allows for more creativity, flexibility, and eccentricity. It is just like in fashion or architecture, with the simple addition of another element, an entirely different outfit or a facade design can be created. The old and new structures embody the city’s rich architectural and cultural history and offer spaces to share diverse stories in the exhibition space of the Textile Museum.

The ornaments of the existing building are abstracted and incorporated into the perforation of the façade panels, thus creating a reference in the design. This allows the building to have a role beyond its function and also be interpreted as a gateway to its neighborhood. The windows can be closed by the outer layer and the interior curtain, made from recycled polyester. The priority is given to the exhibition space where The lightweight rig suspended construction for lighting, audio, and video technology allows maximum flexibility for the exhibition arrangement.