Chipperfield’s Kunsthaus Zurich extension finally completed

By admin - 2020-12-14

Kunsthaus-Zurich-Chipperfield-exhibition-room-1

Chipperfield’s Kunsthaus Zurich extension finally completed

The long-awaited extension of Kunsthaus Zurich has finally been completed.
After an ambitious plan for the Swiss museum expansion was made public in 2001, an international design competition to design the expansion was launched in 2007, with the proposal by David Chipperfield Architects eventually selected as the winner. Yet, mainly due to revisions and delays aimed at addressing various objections by local groups, on-site works for the new building begun in August 2015 only.
Inexhibit has already covered the project here

cover image: Kunsthaus Zürich, Chipperfield building, collection gallery

The original building of the museum and the new extension, which are now connected by a 70 meter-long underground passage under Heimplatz, make the Kunsthaus Zurich the largest art museum in Switzerland. The extension is a compact and classically-proportioned construction whose main facade, clad in Jura limestone, is reminiscent of the architecture of the old palace of the Kunsthaus and the surrounding historic cityscape. With the new building, the total exhibition area of the Kunsthaus amounts now to 5000 square meters and the space for visitor facilities has doubled. A free-access central hall and several multi-functional workshops provide plenty of space for public participation and interaction with art. Thanks to the new shop, cafe, a large banquet hall, and an art garden, all open even while the museum is closed, the Kunsthaus opens to the city.
An integral part of the project, a large light, and video installation by Pipilotti Rist, entitled “Tastende Lichter” (Tactile Lights), has been installed in Heimplatz, In the middle of the installation, a pole specially conceived by the Swiss artist will project circular chromatic surfaces on the square’s pavement and the surrounding buildings.