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Tuesday, 1 April 2008 | Levent OZLER
Extension of Kunsthaus Zürich
Participants in Architectural Competition Selected, Project Loan Approved by Zurich Legislature
The preselection phase for architects competing for the Kunsthaus extension project in Zurich is now closed, and twenty applicants have been selected from a pool of more than 200. Seasoned offices and teams of promising young architects alike are now set to enter what is expected to be the final phase (briefing in April, selection of winning project in December 2008).
With 214 applications by architects from 22 different countries, the Kunsthaus extension project in Zurich has awakened international interest. In early March, a jury of 20 led by Walter B. Kielholz, President of the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, selected twenty offices to take part in what is expected to be the final phase of the competition.
In addition to representatives of the Kunsthaus extension's partners, the jury also includes artists, collectors, and architects from various European countries; its decisions are consequently informed by international experience with major cultural undertakings, artistic talent, and curatorial expertise.
The participants selected for the final phase come from offices in Switzerland (9), Europe (8) and beyond (3). In early April, the teams - who will compete anonymously and include renowned and seasoned architects as well as two young talent teams - will be briefed.
Municipal Legislature Approves Project Loan
The city of Zurich supports the project. On 26 March, the CHF 6.5m project loan requested by the city's executive in the fall of 2007 (cf. press release of 29 August 2007) was approved by a solid majority of Zurich's legislature.
In addition to the extension itself, which will define and enliven the Heimplatz square, the project also includes a publicly accessible 'Art Garden'. The Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft intends to raise half the planned budget of CHF 150m from private donors. The extension is to be inaugurated by 2015.
Comprehensive Competition Brief Driven by Museum's Content
The competition brief for the Kunsthaus extension project formulates a vision of the New Kunsthaus and contains a concept for the museum's content as defined by the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft. The needs of art and the general public both are central to this undertaking, and the brief sets out the project's tasks and goals accordingly.
The Kunsthaus extension's partners (the Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, the city of Zurich, and the Stiftung Zürcher Kunsthaus) have made further stipulations with regard to cultural policy, urban planning and sustainability (the '2000-Watt Society').
The new building, which will constitute a significant contribution to Zurich's urban fabric, is to stand on the grounds between the Heimplatz square and the old cantonal school, and thus inaugurates implementation of the University District master plan.
Showcase for New Offerings: Key Requirements
The extension will provide the Kunsthaus Zürich with a showcase for new offerings. As such, it must meet four key requirements. First, it must house new galleries with reconfigurable suites of rooms that are flexible in function and appropriate for the display of new media, prints, drawings and photography. Second, it must also contain more classically designed galleries for the Bührle Collection, the basis of the museum's new focus on French painting, as well as accommodating examples of 19th-century art and classical modernism. Third, it must provide the setting for medium-sized exhibitions, staged without affecting the perma¬nent collection. Fourth, the foyer must allow visitors to engage in a direct encounter with art as soon as they enter the building, while at the same time symbolizing the museum's greater and more welcoming openness. Together, the two striking buildings will constitute one museum: the New Kunsthaus, Switzerland's largest art museum.
The competition participants are listed in the enclosed appendices, as are the competition jurors. More information is available at www.kunsthaus.ch/erweiterung.
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