Expansion of the Art Museum in Chur by Estudio Barozzi Veiga
In recent days, the extension of the Palladian Villa Planta (1874-75) in the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden has been completed, which is the pinnacle of self-taught architect Johannes Ludwig (1815-88), who is also signed on the nearby armory (1861-63).
Today’s seat of the Federal Art Museum was completed in the early 1980s by Peter Zumthor (in collaboration with P. Calonder and H.J. Ruch). Ultimately, a decision was made to demolish the neighboring Sulserbau (1927) and also remove Zumthor’s pedestrian bridge (1981) to free up land for the new museum. Villa Planta has been renovated in recent years by the local studio Gredig Walser Architekten. The authors of the new minimalist extension are the Barcelona studio Barozzi Veiga, which won a competition invited four years ago. A simple gray cube placed in front of the museum reveals only a small part, as two-thirds of the new galleries are hidden beneath the plaza. The extension, in addition to four above-ground floors, consists of three underground levels, with the footprint of the basement being double that of the upper floors. The newly added part is connected to the historic villa by an underground staircase. The lower section houses permanent collections and an archive, while short-term exhibitions will be installed in the above-ground halls. The emphasized entrance aims to respond in a modern way to the portal of the historic villa. The new and old museum engage in a common dialogue in other details as well. The square footprint is also reflected on a smaller scale in the sculptural relief on the facade. The closed object resembles a chest guarding the treasures from the museum’s collection, which includes around eight thousand items from the 18th century to the present. The total construction costs of the museum, amounting to 30 million Swiss francs, were covered by two-thirds through public fundraising.
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Today’s seat of the Federal Art Museum was completed in the early 1980s by Peter Zumthor (in collaboration with P. Calonder and H.J. Ruch). Ultimately, a decision was made to demolish the neighboring Sulserbau (1927) and also remove Zumthor’s pedestrian bridge (1981) to free up land for the new museum. Villa Planta has been renovated in recent years by the local studio Gredig Walser Architekten. The authors of the new minimalist extension are the Barcelona studio Barozzi Veiga, which won a competition invited four years ago. A simple gray cube placed in front of the museum reveals only a small part, as two-thirds of the new galleries are hidden beneath the plaza. The extension, in addition to four above-ground floors, consists of three underground levels, with the footprint of the basement being double that of the upper floors. The newly added part is connected to the historic villa by an underground staircase. The lower section houses permanent collections and an archive, while short-term exhibitions will be installed in the above-ground halls. The emphasized entrance aims to respond in a modern way to the portal of the historic villa. The new and old museum engage in a common dialogue in other details as well. The square footprint is also reflected on a smaller scale in the sculptural relief on the facade. The closed object resembles a chest guarding the treasures from the museum’s collection, which includes around eight thousand items from the 18th century to the present. The total construction costs of the museum, amounting to 30 million Swiss francs, were covered by two-thirds through public fundraising.
More information >
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