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Brunnmatt Schulhaus, Basel © Karin Bürki/HEARTBRUT. Explore more on Heartbrut.com

Brunnmatt School

Words & Photography: Karin Bürki

Words & Photography: Karin Bürki

Still fresh

The primary school in Basel’s Gundeli quarter comprises a main wing, sports hall, assembly hall, kindergarten and outdoor play areas. Clever landscaping helps the striking combination of school and sculpture blend in harmoniously with the residential neighbourhood. The distinctive style later became the trademark of Walter Maria Förderer. A sculptor turned architect, he designed some of Switzerland’s boldest brutalist churches and was the creative force behind the pioneering architecture of HSG University.

After two carefully executed refurbishments, Brunnmatt looks as fresh and pristine as ever. The complex remains a textbook example of how to treat postwar concrete with due respect and care.
The sculptural concrete school is based on Förderer, Otto and Zwimpfer’s pioneering design for Neumatt secondary school in nearby Aesch, completed in 1962.

© Karin Bürki/Heartbrut

© Karin Bürki/Heartbrut

Triemli-Tower, Triemli-Turm, Esther + Rudolf Guyer, © Karin Bürki/Heartbrut. Explore more on Heartbrut.com
La Tulipe (The Tulip), Centre for Medical Research, Geneva 1975-1976,© Karin Bürki/Heartbrut, Swiss Brutalism. Explore more on Heartbrut.com
Hochhaus zur Palme High-Rise, Haefeli Moser Steiger, Zurich, 1955-1964, Swiss Brutalism, © Karin Bürki/Heartbrut. Explore more on Heartbrut.com
Roccolo, Seminar Centre, Retreat, Miller & Maranta, Castasegna, Val Bregaglia, 2004, © Karin Bürki/Heartbrut, Swiss Brutalism. Explore more on Heartbrut.com