Kunstmuseum Bern competition decided

The Kunstmuseum Bern is something special. Founded in 1879, it is one of the oldest art museums in Switzerland after the Kunstmuseum Basel. However, both the old building by Eugen Stettler from 1879 and the extension from 1984 – which stands on a foundation from 1936 – have been in need of renovation for several years. Deficits were identified with regard to the lighting concept, supporting structure, building services, safety and escape route requirements and the protection of cultural assets. As a result, some parts of the building could only be operated with special permits. Against this backdrop, debates about a new replacement building and the renovation of the existing extension began years ago.

A feasibility study from 2018 revealed that a future concept would have to be considered beyond the actual Kunstmuseum Bern site. However, the situation on Hodlerstrasse, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a whole since 1983, is highly complex due to the different ownership and usage relationships as well as various publicinterests. In order to master this complexity, those responsible have organized various panel events, surveys and over 50 workshops involving the people of Bern in recent years. The findings gathered were ultimately incorporated into the invitation to tender for an international architecture competition. A total of 148 teams applied in the open 2-stage process. From these, a jury selected 39 offices to take part in the competition. This was ultimately won by the Swiss firm Schmidlin Architekten with MOFA urban landscape studio GmbH SIA. Their entry “EIGER” impressed with its clear urban volume, which opens up a square situation on Hodlerstrasse.

“It’s the kind of building we want,” said Nina Zimmer, Director of the Kunstmuseum Bern and the Zentrum Paul Klee since 2016, commenting on the winning design. Extensive renovations and a new replacement building are planned. The architects emphasize that the new solitary building is not an extension, but an equal counterpart in dialogue with the neoclassical Stettler building. It will thus become a further player in the series ofrepresentativepublic buildings on thenorthernslope of the Aare. This architectural self-confidence goes hand in hand with the inclusion of the public space. By moving the new building slightly towards the slope of the Aare, a spacious public square is created. This museum square is linked to the promenades and squares up to Bärenplatz and is thus integrated into the urban fabric. The square willfeatureacaféand will serve as a meeting place and venue for art in the extended publicspace. The square is also intended to contribute to cooling the urban climate with a water feature and vegetation.

The museum square is not the only open space upgrade envisaged by the design. A terracedcourtyard garden also connects the planned new building and the bistro, thus setting the city wall in a new light. In addition, a wide flight of steps will be created between the Stettlerbau and the new building, leading down to the newly created Aare terrace. This public space is suitable as a picnic area or for art education, among other things.

Overall, the urban planning gestures and the museum square succeed in bringing the three surrounding buildings together to form an ensemble. In doing so, the architects preserve the special features of the individual buildings, as the jury report makes clear: “The different eras of the buildings are harmonized, their structural differences are emphasized and at the same time the lasting heritage of the institution is strengthened.” In order to create a cohesive whole, as it were, Schmidlin designed a well thought-out spatial arrangement that creates a link between the historical andcontemporaryelements. They also proposed a uniform material palette. The new building is an impressive monolith made of sandstone, the texture of which references the tradition of Bernese stone quarrying techniques. The sandstone façade on the first floor is based on the traditional concept of rustication and becomes smoother towards the top. Individual openings are glazed flush with the façade. The roof of the new building is flat, an abstraction. In contrast to the structured roof of the Stettler building, the new solitaire has a flat roof.

The harmonious dialog betweencontemporaryand historical art experiences also continues inside. The result is a “two-part experience“. These areas can be experienced from a multifunctional entrance foyer. The new building consists of three autonomous, vertically stacked exhibition spaces. From there, the transition into the existing building resembles an immersion into the essence of the 19th century art museum. In the Stettlerbau, Schmidlin Architekten envision a two-storey high space with unexpected light and views. According to the jury, this bold proposal still needs to be reviewed in terms of monument preservation. Ultimately, however, it was precisely the special connection between the old and new buildings, as propagated by Schmidlin Architekten, that convinced the jury.

“The selected proposal exceeds the original requirements for the museum extension,” was the jury’s verdict. The EIGER project proposal not only fits seamlessly into the historical context, but also strengthens the presence of the Stettler Building and offers the city of Bern a new space and a distinctive location for the “renewed” Kunstmuseum Bern. The task now is to continue working on the winning project. Among other things, the façadeis to be reworked to create a more extensive structure in order to establish deeper links with the surroundings. The listed status of the Stettler Building and Hodlerstrasse 6 should also be examined in greater depth. And finally, the open space design of the museum square needs to be fleshed out. A committee of the jury will oversee the revision of the project in close cooperation with the city’s monument preservation authorities. The final project should then be available at the beginning of 2028.