Office for Architecture, Research and Design
Previous Work

Christoph Felger at David Chipperfield Architects

Project

Extension Kunsthaus Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland

Year

2009—2021

Programme

Exhibition galleries, event spaces, café, bar, museum shop, conservation workshops and art storage

Site Area

0,9 ha

Gross Floor Area

23.300 m2

YearClient

Einfache Gesellschaft Kunsthaus Erweiterung, Zurich, Switzerland

Commission

Selected competition

Scope

Stages of work in accordance with HOAI 1–8

Description

The Kunsthaus Zürich Extension forms part of a broader urban composition that establishes the Kunsthaus and Schauspielhaus as the gateway to Zurich’s academic and cultural district. Rather than an autonomous object, the building continues and strengthens an established cultural destination within the city. A publicly accessible hall forms the spatial centre of the project, connecting Heimplatz with the Garden of Art and linking the museum to everyday urban life. Acting simultaneously as an urban room and an organisational spine, it mediates between public accessibility and the protected realm of the collection. The galleries are conceived as a house of rooms, offering diverse spatial conditions while remaining consistently in service of the artworks. An exposed structural frame, carefully controlled daylight and a restrained material palette create an atmosphere of calm, permanence and clarity. The project explores how cultural architecture can balance openness and protection, establishing a civic institution that is both accessible and enduring.

Team David Chipperfield Architects

Partners David Chipperfield, Christoph Felger (Design Lead), Harald Müller (Project Management)
Project Architects Hans Krause (Competition), Barbara Koller, Jan Parth, Markus Bauer, Robert Westphal
Project Team Wolfgang Baumeister, Leander Bulst, Beate Dauth, Kristen Finke, Pavel Frank, Anne Hengst, Ludwig Jahn, Frithjof Kahl, Guido Kappius, Jan-Philipp Neuer, Mariska Rohde, Diana Schaffrannek, Eva-Maria Stadelmann, Marc Warrington, Konrad Basan, Dalia Liksaite, Maude Orban, Ken Polster, Antonia Schlegel, Simon Wiesmaier, Ute Zscharnt

Collaborators

b+p baurealisation AG, Zurich, Switzerland (Cost Planning and Site Supervision)

Dreicon AG, Zurich, Switzerland (Project Management)

IGB Ingenieurgruppe Bauen, Karlsruhe, Germany (Structural Engineering)

dsp-Ingenieure & Planer AG, Greifensee, Switzerland (Structural Engineering)

Ingenieurgemeinschaft Kunsthauserweiterung, Zurich, Switzerland (Structural Engineering)

Polke, Ziege, von Moos AG, Zurich, Switzerland (Building Services Engineering)

Hefti. Hess. Martignoni. Holding AG, Aarau, Switzerland (Building Services Engineering)

Kopitsis Bauphysik AG, Wohlen, Switzerland (Building Physics)

Gruner AG, Basel, Switzerland (Fire Engineering)

ContiSwiss, Zurich, Switzerland (Fire Engineering)

Emmer Pfenninger Partner AG, Münchenstein, Switzerland (Façade Engineering)

matí AG Lichtgestaltung, Adliswil, Switzerland (Artificial Lighting)

Institut für Tageslichttechnik, Stuttgart, Germany (Daylight Design)

Sascha Lobe, L2M3 Kommunikationsdesign GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany (Wayfinding and Signage)

Peter Wirtz, Wirtz International nv, Schoten, Belgium (Landscape Architecture)

KOLB Landschaftsarchitektur GmbH, Zurich, Switzerland (Landscape Architecture)

Noshe, Berlin, Germany (Completion Photographs)

Kunsthaus Zürich Extension viewed across Heimplatz, highlighting its relationship to the public square, tram network and surrounding cultural institutions.
Close-up of the Kunsthaus Zürich Extension entrance, where brass doors, deep-set glazing and a finely detailed limestone façade establish a monumental yet inviting civic presence
Detail of the Kunsthaus Zürich Extension façade in relation to the historic museum building beyond. The finely articulated Jura limestone cladding establishes a dialogue between contemporary architecture and the material character of the existing Kunsthaus.
The central hall of the Kunsthaus Zürich Extension acts as the building’s primary public space, combining exposed concrete, natural stone and layered circulation to connect the museum’s galleries, entrances and civic functions.
A brass-lined threshold within the Kunsthaus Zürich Extension combines finely detailed metal screens, exposed concrete and marble surfaces to create a carefully articulated sequence between the central hall and adjoining museum spaces.
A carefully composed junction of marble floor, stair and exposed concrete structure within the Kunsthaus Zürich Extension, demonstrating the project’s emphasis on material precision, craftsmanship and spatial clarity.
Natural light filters through tall vertical openings in the central hall of the Kunsthaus Zürich Extension, animating the marble floor and revealing the restrained material palette of concrete, stone and brass that characterises the museum’s public spaces.
Central marble staircase of the Kunsthaus Zürich Extension, bringing daylight deep into the building and connecting the museum’s public spaces.
Brass-framed gallery entrance in the Kunsthaus Zürich Extension, marking the transition from the public hall to the exhibition spaces.
A temporary exhibition gallery in the Kunsthaus Zürich Extension is lit by a continuous diffuse daylight ceiling, combining natural light, exposed concrete and carefully proportioned rooms to create an adaptable environment for viewing art.
A gallery of the Kunsthaus Zürich Extension is defined by exposed concrete surfaces, timber floors and a large diffuse skylight that provides controlled natural illumination, creating a serene and carefully proportioned environment for the appreciation of art.
A gallery of the Kunsthaus Zürich Extension combines exposed concrete ceilings, timber floors and deep-set vertical windows to create a restrained exhibition environment shaped by natural light, proportion and material clarity.
The central stair hall of the Kunsthaus Zürich Extension is formed by a sequence of intersecting concrete stairways and landings, creating a spatial composition that guides movement through the museum while expressing the clarity of its structural and architectural organisation.
Café interior at the Kunsthaus Zürich Extension with custom seating, contemporary furnishings and artwork by Max Ernst.
Corner view of the Kunsthaus Zürich Extension, featuring its articulated Jura limestone façade and its relationship to Heimplatz and the surrounding urban context