Extension of the Kunsthaus Zürich
The Kunsthaus Zurich, built in the early 20th century with extensions from the 1920s, 50s and
60s, is to be expanded once again. A spacious new building on the opposite (northern) side of
Heimplatz is planned. Together with the Schauspielhaus (theatre) on the east side of the square,
a ‘gateway to the arts’ is to be developed between the university quarter and Zurich’s cultural
institutions in the city centre – a sequence of representative buildings, squares and green spaces
situated in the area where the baroque city walls were razed to the ground, stretching from
Heimplatz to the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (university). While the existing
museum will predominantly house the Old Masters, the Giacometti collection, Swiss art and
popular large-scale exhibitions, the new extension will display classic modernism and art starting
from the 1960s as well as the ‘Bührle Collection’ with its new focus on French painting and
Impressionism.
The urban concept envisages a clear geometric volume, which stands assertively on the square.
The creation of a link between Heimplatz and the public art garden to the north of the new
extension through an axial hall, reaching from one end of the building to the other, forms a
decisive organisational factor in the design scheme. The height difference between the two public
spaces is used to establish a garden and city horizon. All public functions are situated on the
ground floor facing the town, such as the entrance, café, museum shop and event space, as well
as the delivery area. The first floor on the level of the garden and the second floor are both
reserved for art only. The large hall links all these spaces, facilitating the orientation in the
complex room structure while providing a central place of encounter between the art and the
visitors. The basement floor accommodates art depots and further services and is linked
underneath the square with the existing Kunsthaus building, allowing visitors to move easily
between one part of the museum and the other.
The inner organisation is based on the classic idea of a ‘house of rooms’, establishing a
relationship to the town through large windows. The exhibition spaces in particular are conceived
as a sequence of differently sized rooms, which are calm in their proportions and materiality,
providing optimum conditions for the presentation of art. Natural light occurs from the side and
from above. It can thus be controlled and used together with artificial lighting, enabling a wide
range of versatile lighting scenarios. The large openings together with the delicately structured
façade crafted from Bollinger sandstone – the same stone used in the existing Kunsthaus
building – mediate between the scale of the building and its surroundings, while the arrangement
of the windows reflect the inner organisation and size of the rooms.
Architect: David Chipperfield Architects
Principal: David Chipperfield
Director: Christoph Felger
Project Architect: Hans Krause
Project Team: Ivan Dimitrov, Kristen Finke, Annette Flohrschütz, Pavel Frank,
Gesche Gerber, Dalia Liksaite, Mariska Rohde, Franziska Rusch, Antonia Schlegel, Lani Tran Duc, Peter von Matuschka, Sebastian von Oppen, Marc Warrington, Ute Zscharnt
Landscape Architect: Wirtz International NV, Schoten, Belgium
Structural Engineer: Ingenieurgruppe Bauen, Karlsruhe, Germany
Services Engineer: Polke, Ziege, von Moos AG, Zurich, Switzerland
Museum Consultant: Heiner Bastian, Berlin, Germany
Artificial Light Consultant:mati AG Lichtgestaltung, Zurich, Switzerland
Daylight Consultant: Ove Arup & Partners, London, UK
Façade Consultant: gkp fasssadentechnik ag, Zurich, Switzerland
Quanity Surveyor: Freiraum Baumanagement AG, Zurich, Switzerland
Fire Protection Consultant: Gruner AG, Basle, Switzerland
Models: Fernando Gonzalez, Berlin, Germany
Renderings: Imaging Atelier
