In 2016, Italian–Spanish duo Fabrizio Barozzi and Alberto Veiga made architectural history in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Their task: to design an extension to the Bündner Kunstmuseum in Chur. Rather than appending to the historic Villa Planta, they conceived a stand-alone structure—a solitaire. The challenge: uniting two distinct buildings in a single museum.
Address/Directions
Bündner Kunstmuseum Chur
Bahnhofstrasse 35
CH–7000 Chur
Directions
“Our approach is always the same: we try to understand a place, to develop a feeling for it, and then translate that into our working method. We’re always searching for the specific.”
Graubünden is renowned for its architectural landscape and density of exemplary buildings. Since Peter Zumthor moved to Chur in 1968, the region has drawn notable architects like Gion A. Caminada, Valerio Olgiati, and Bearth & Deplazes. The new extension by Barozzi Veiga continues this lineage.
The “specific” in this project lies in its relationship with the original museum building: the landmarked Villa Planta from 1876. Barozzi and Veiga responded with an elegant 18-meter-tall cube. Their aim: to reinterpret the Palladian villa without mimicking it. The façade of the cube features 50 × 50 cm precast concrete panels with custom-developed ornamental motifs—a contemporary echo of the villa’s decorative interior.
The architects observed that in Switzerland, great buildings often stand alone. Their goal was the opposite: to establish harmony among the new extension, the villa, the garden, and the urban surroundings. The new building had to assert its identity while forming a cohesive ensemble.
Balancing Integration and Autonomy
Barozzi and Veiga minimized the outdoor footprint to preserve green space, placing most of the exhibition areas underground. Inside, the design follows the same conceptual clarity. A low glass door sits within a tall narrow frame, opening into a five-meter-high, light-filled foyer. A full-height window to the west frames the Villa Planta like a work of art. Upstairs lies the “Laboratory,” a project space for rotating artist residencies. All other galleries are located below ground.
Two exposed concrete stairwells connect the basement levels. Ceilings made from layered fiberglass panels provide uniform, soft LED illumination that approximates daylight. A connecting stairway links the new building to the villa’s underground cabinet, which was restored in parallel by Chur-based firm Gredig Walser.
The doors throughout the extension feature lever handles from the FSB 1035 and 1031 series. Their pared-down, angular geometry and square roses align seamlessly with the building’s formal language. At the same time, the handles mediate between epochs: their timeless elegance ties together old and new. On every level and in every detail, Barozzi and Veiga pursued a singular ambition—to create a living space for art and engagement.
