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Bündner Kunstmuseum
Bahnhofstrasse 35, Chur
2011 - 2016
In
2011 an architectural competition for the extension of the Bündner
Kunstmuseum was carried out, and in early 2012 the design by Barozzi
Veiga
was announced as the winning proposal. The task was to design an
extension to the historic Villa Planta, to be accomodated within the
borders of the quite limited parcel, making the design an excercise of
integration within an intact urban ensemble. As a response to the
limitations, Barozzi Veiga tried to minimize the exterior volume and
were able to gain space for a new public area. The reduced footprint of
the volume allowed for an extension of the existing garden and results
in an improved cohesion of the ensemble. To achieve a small and compact
volume, the architects inverted the logical order of the program. This
inversion means, that the exhibition spaces are realized below ground
level so that the emerging volume above street level only contains the
public access spaces. The new extension appears as an autonomous
building, although one of the main efforts of this project was the
reinterpretation of the historic building in order to establish a
refined dialogue between the two constructions. The dialogue between
the two buildings is based on their classical structures and their
ornamentation. The existing Villa Planta clearly refers to Palladian
buildings, and both buildings are are based on a central symmetrical
plan. In terms of ornamentation, the design by Barozzi Veiga refers to
the Oriental influences of the Villa Planta. The facade, consisting of
prefabricated concrete elements, is of an expressive quality,
emphasizing the autonomy of the building. Only a short time before the
planned openning of the extended art museum, a fire broke out on the
construction site, preventing the ceremony. As a conseqence the
inauguration was celebrated at the end of June 2016.