082121-BUENDNERKUNSTMUSEUMCHUR-©-KARINBUERKI-HEARTBRUT-1

Grisons Museum of Fine Arts (Extension)

Words & Photography: Karin Bürki

Words & Photography: Karin Bürki

Gridfinity

The 4,000 m2 purist concrete cube is located in the centre of Chur opposite Villa Planta, the splendidly ornamental 18th-century home to the original art museum. The extension by Barcelona-based practice Barozzi Veiga from Barcelona is a contemporary take on the Palladian style of its predecessor. But instead of pomp, radical reduction and repetition reign supreme: the façade’s slick inset relief panels comprise 4,600 square blocks of moulded concrete. It’s Palladian for purits, so to speak. But the pared-down reimagining is not universally welcomed in Chur. Not that the new architectural showpiece cares much, because, hey, it is very, very photogenic. This minimalist cube is a fine example of how concrete can be translated into something that is both eye-catchingly bold and filigree at the same time.

The extension won the RIBA Award for International Excellence 2018.
Museum of Fine Arts Chur, Bündner Kunstmuseum Chur, Barozzi/Veiga, © Karin Bürki/Heartbrut. Explore more on Heartbrut.com

© Karin Bürki/Heartbrut

© Karin Bürki/Heartbrut

Triemli-Tower, Triemli-Turm, Esther + Rudolf Guyer, © Karin Bürki/Heartbrut. Explore more on Heartbrut.com
Autosilo Balestra, multi storey car park and shopping centre, Carlo Cesarini, Lugano, 1978 Ticino, Swiss brutalism. Explore more on Heartbrut.com
Three Loops, Betonschleife, Ralph Bänziger, Zurich 1977, Brutalism, © Karin Bürki/Heartbrut. Explore more on Heartbrut.com
Église Saint Nicolas, Walter Maria Förderer, Hérémence, 1967-1971, Swiss Brutalism, © Karin Bürki/Heartbrut. Explore more on Heartbrut.com

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