- Bahnhofstrasse 35, Chur
- Cultural
- Not Listed
- Object No 5 of Carte Brute
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 acts as a contemporary take on its predecessor’s Palladian style. But instead of pomp, radical reduction and repetition reign: the facade’s sleek 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 filigrane at the same time.
The extension won the RIBA Award for International Excellence 2018.
© Karin Bürki/Heartbrut
© Karin Bürki/Heartbrut
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