The vast majority of the jury chose the project by British architect David Chipperfield for its restraint and lack of "iconic" flashiness. The judges identified this work as a "classic Chipperfield"; indeed, it is somewhat reminiscent of his museums for Germany, in particular - the "Bastian Gallery" next to the Museum Island in Berlin. At the same time, the building for Zurich is coordinated with the existing Kunsthaus complex: the coloristic solution and the calm rhythm of the facade resembles the first museum building - an Art Nouveau building of 1910, located across the Heimplatz square from the future building.
However, since the beginning of the 20th century, the Kunsthaus was rebuilt several times: in the 1920s, the architect Karl Moser expanded his original building, adding a side wing and new premises from the rear façade, and in 1958 the vast building of the Pfister brothers with galleries of temporary exhibitions and a conference room was opened nearby. …
The Chipperfield building, with a budget of CHF 150 million, will house the latest art, prints, drawings and photographs, as well as 19th century works and the Bührle collection. The project also involves the transformation of Heimplatz - a transport hub in the city center - into a full-fledged public space.
However, winning a competition in Switzerland gives even fewer guarantees for the implementation of a project than in other countries of the world: in most cantons, the work of an architect must be brought to the judgment of residents, and its implementation begins only after a positive result is obtained by a general vote of the townspeople. Even in progressive Basel, this system is failing: public opinion is usually highly conservative. Zurich is particularly tough in this regard, so there have been almost no significant new buildings over the past twenty years, although there has been no shortage of interesting projects (for example, the city dwellers did not like the elegant congress center of Raphael Moneo, who won the 2006 competition) … But if the Kunsthaus building by David Chipperfield is to the taste of the residents of Zurich, it is planned to open it by 2015.
A total of 214 bureaus from 22 countries took part in the competition, and 20 workshops reached the final, including Rex, Guigon / Guillier, Caruso St. John and Sauerbruch Hatton. Chipperfield's victory in Switzerland somewhat mitigates the collapse of his other museum project - a new wing of the Museum of Art in St. Louis, Missouri - due to the financial crisis.
