Building Bern

The Swiss capital Bern has seen a fast architectural development in recent years. A vast number of new buildings have been constructed and existing ones refurbished and transformed for new purposes. Among the architects whose projects have been realised are names well-known among the professional community and the enthusiasts of contemporary architecture, such as Diener & Diener, Atelier 5, Burkhalter Sumi or Graber Pulver (all Switzerland), but also the internationally celebrated Renzo Piano and Daniel Libeskind. This pocket guide presents around 80 projects, public and private, realised between 1990 and 2010 in the historic town centre, the surrounding neighbourhoods and the suburbs of Bern. Each building is documented with a short critical essay, photographs especially taken for this book, floor plan and section and a box with key facts and figures. A separate chapter introduces a selection of earlier 20th-century 'classics' and an introductory essay on aspects of contemporary architecture and Bern's building history completes the book.