Paul Klee Centre in Berne
“The whole attraction of the place lies in the gentle curve of the hill.” The architect’s first impression of the site on the outskirts of Berne led to the design of the new Paul Klee Centre in the form of a landscape sculpture. Three waves rise and fall over a field directly adjoining the cemetery where Klee lies buried. To the east, they merge seamlessly with a field of barley; to the west, they open towards the city. Klee’s daughter-in-law offered to present the city of Berne with 690 paintings, on condition that it build a museum for approximately 4,000 works by the end of 2006. Thanks to donations, it was possible not only to comply with this stipulation, but to extend the spatial programme with an auditorium, a children’s museum and an administrative zone. All functions are linked with each other by a ground floor “museum street”.
