 Bern has everything that goes to make a capital city. Its
unique cityscape – designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site – is an
expression of the open-minded charm of this city. Alongside its exceptional
medieval buildings – the cathedral, the Zytglogge clock tower, the covered
arcades and the town hall – the city is home to world-class modern architecture
and design.
Leading examples of this are the Paul Klee Centre, opened in the summer of
2005, and the Swiss national stadium, or Stade de Suisse – as well as the
largest exhibition in the world on the life and work of Albert Einstein.
Exciting new projects in the pipeline, due to open from 2008, include the new
WESTside shopping and leisure complex by the renowned international architect
Daniel Libeskind, and the Kubus/Titan extension to the Historical Museum. While
Bern is part of our shared world heritage, it is also open to the world,
embracing the future.
That is the city’s attraction: an ever-changing blend of traditional charm
and modern flair.
Art, architecture, design.
Paul Klee Centre The Paul Klee Centre is much more ambitious than a
traditional art museum. Designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano in the
form of three undulating waves in a landscaped setting, it is more of a cultural
centre: a place of encounter, reflecting Klee’s interest in music and literature
as well as art, and consequently also a platform for a younger generation. A
promenade equipped with a multitude of communications installations is a place
for visitors to stroll and interact. At the heart of the complex is the
collection of more than 4,000 works by the artist, the most comprehensive in the
world.
Gurten — Park im Grünen T
he Gurten is Bern’s local mountain, a green space on its doorstep with
breathtaking views of the Alps. Opened in 1999, the park has become a popular
outing for locals and visitors alike. Parts of the former Art Nouveau hotel have
been restored; other areas have been replaced with a clean, contemporary
architecture. The former barn is now a high-tech, environment-friendly cultural
space.
Historical Museum of Bern, permanent exhibition on Albert Einstein
(1879—1955)
Following the great success of the special exhibition of 2005/06, Bern’s
historical museum is paying permanent tribute to its most famous resident, who
formulated his Theory of Relativity while living and working in the city. The
exhibition vividly presents the life of the genius, while illustrating the
history of the 20th century with original documents and film clips. Einstein’s
theories of physics, meanwhile, are dramatically brought to life through
computer animations in a series of themed rooms.
The museum was built in 1894 by the architect André Lambert. His influences —
a variety of building forms of the 15th and 16th centuries, as well as a several
historic castles — are easy to make out. |
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