barozzi veiga completes extension to fine arts museum

in the swiss city of chur, estudio barozzi veiga has completed an extension to villa planta – a museum dedicated to fine arts. the addition will accommodate the bündner kunstmuseum and at the same time, activate the surrounding public space through the integration of landscaping and the gardens belonging to the nearby architecture.

all images © simon menges

the barcelona-based studio’s project has exercised the integration of blending the building structure within an urban ensemble. with this, the design aimed to minimize its exterior volume by inverting the program’s logical order. this response has led to the exhibition spaces located below ground level, in such way that the emerging structure -above street level- only comprises of the public spaces. consequently, the volume’s reduced footprint has allowed the existing garden to be extended and improves the overall organization.

a new public space is generated that incorporates the surrounding gardens also from nearby buildings

externally, the new extension’s cubic form is clad in sculptural concrete slabs; visualized as organized tiles that reinforce its expressiveness and autonomy with respect to the existing villa. in addition, the new build has been developed with an independent identity from its historical counterpart. in subtle ways, the extension has subtly reinterpreted elements to allow an architectural dialogue to be established between the two.

a consistent material palette and aesthetic has been used throughout the 4,000 sq feet new extension

both buildings follow a central symmetrical plan and use geometry as a tool to spatially link the two schemes together. in the extension, this classical configuration also makes it possible to simplify the structural system and to organize the exhibition halls on the lower levels.

the extension is understood as an autonomous building, independent from the historical building

both buildings present a central symmetrical plan and both use geometry as a tool for cohesion

the exhibition spaces have been placed below ground level

the design strives to minimize its exterior volume by inverting the program’s logical order

the envelope is defined by the concrete slabs

the scheme is located in chur, switzerland

project info:

full name: bkm – bündner kunstmuseum chur
location: chur, switzerland
client: hochbauamt kanton graubünden
authors: barozzi / veiga fabrizio barozzi , alberto veiga
project leader: katrin baumgarten
project team: paola calcavecchia, shin hye kwang, maria eleonora maccari, anna mallen
verena recla, laura rodriguez, ivanna sanjuan, arnau sastre, cecilia vielba
local architect: schwander & sutter architekten
project manager: walter dietsche baumanagement ag
landscape architect: paolo bürgi landschaftsarchitekt
structural engineer: ingenieurbüro flütsch
services engineers: waldhauser haustechnik ag, brüniger + co. ag, niedermann planung gmbh
façade consultant: x-made slp
lighting consultant: michaeljosefheusi gmbh