Kunstmuseum Bern
Bern, Switzerland 2022–2023
Client: Kunstmuseum Bern Competition entry
The Kunstmuseum Bern is one of the oldest museums in Switzerland, and its buildings and location carry a long and layered history. A fragment of the old city wall still stands on the western edge of the site, and since the opening of the original Stettler building, the museum’s development has continually responded to the history of both site and institution. Over the decades, the original building was expanded through additions by Karl Indermühle and Otto Salvisberg, and later by the large extension from Atelier 5, designed in the optimistic spirit of modernism.
Today, the museum exists as a palimpsest of material and historical layers — a complexity that sometimes challenges its functionality but also enriches its atmosphere, fitting for a collection spanning from the late Middle Ages to the present. The contemporary museum must address climate concerns as well as the recognition of complex historical contexts, including those shaped by modernism, capitalism, and colonialism. Our proposal envisions a 21st‑century museum where 500 years of art meet contemporary life in new and engaging ways.
Competition boards
Credits
Location
Bern, Switzerland
Date
2022-2023
Client
Kunstmuseum Bern
Area
7200 m2
Caruso St John Architects
Adam Caruso, Peter St John, Michael Schneider, Florian Zierer
Project architect(s)
Jasmin Schiele
Project team
Nina Barać, Dongyong Oh
Landscape architect
ghiggi paesaggi Landschaft & Städtebau GmbH
Structural engineer
Ferrari Gartmann AG
Visualisations
Adrian König
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