Competition
The future expansion of the Kunstmuseum Bern is a project designed to address the museum’s current shortcomings in terms of high-quality exhibition space and programmatic functionality. Our proposal, developed in collaboration with the London-based firm Stanton Williams, is based on a typology that prioritizes flexible gallery spaces and a strong connection with Bern’s protected historic urban landscape.
The entrance on Hodlerstrasse completes the future pedestrian cultural promenade through Bern. The ground floor is conceived as a large open space connecting the mineral character of the city to the green landscape of the Aare River. Like the historical fabric of Bern, the extension is built entirely in Bernese sandstone: at street level, it appears massive and raw, while the upper floors become smooth and refined.
A series of stacked “black box” galleries for temporary exhibitions are surrounded by a generous loggia, which serves both as a circulation space and a place for viewing artworks.
