Beyeler Foundation Museum

Beyeler Foundation Museum

In 1991, Ernst Beyeler addressed Renzo Piano to commission the design of a museum to accommodate his outstanding collection of modern art. Beyeler's request is a museum entirely illuminated by natural light and surrounded by greenery. The building has a very strict plan: four masters of the same length, oriented in the north-south direction, run parallel to the wall of the enclosure and neatly mark the succession of the exhibition spaces that originate from the central atrium. Natural light penetrates through the filtering surfaces of the roofing system that "flies" above the walls. The roof is somewhat independent of the building: supported by the metal structure, it extends far beyond the perimeter defined by the walls.

Project data

Design

1991 - 1994

Construction

1994 - 1997

Site Area

16808 m2

Total floor area

4636 m2

Height

8,25 m (4,8 m internal height in exhibtion galleries)

Floors

1 + 1 basement

Total exhibition area

3764 m2

Collection

2496 m2

Temporary exhibition

1268 m2

Credits

Client

Beyeler Foundation

Architect

Renzo Piano Building Workshop, architects in association with Burckhardt + Partner AG, Basel

Consultants

Preliminary Design: Ove Arup & Partners (structure and services)

Phase One: Ove Arup & Partners, C. Burger + Partner AG (structure); Bogenschütz AG (plumbing); J. Forrer AG (HVAC); Elektrizitäts AG (electrical engineering); J. Wiede, Schönholzer + Stauffer (landscaping)

Phase Two: C. Burger + Partner AG (structure); Bogenschütz AG (plumbing); J. Forrer AG (HVAC); Elektrizitäts AG (electrical engineering); Schönholzer + Stauffer (landscaping)