Diener & Diener

Die Schweizer Botschaft in Berlin im Spiegel von anderen Projekten

 

Aedes Cooperation Partners

 

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Diener & Diener

The exhibition of the architecture office Diener & Diener from Basel presents the recently opened Swiss Embassy in Berlin and 5 other current projects, related to the themes reconstruction and restoration: The Ruhrmuseum Zeche Zollverein in Essen (1999-2002), The National Gallery for Modern Art in Rome, (2000-2003), the shopping center and Migros school in Luzern (1995-2000) the Center PasquArt in Biel (1994-1999) and housing estates on Java Island in Amsterdam (1995-2000). The projects will be exhibited through sketches, designs, models, plans and photos.

Swiss Embassy, Berlin, 1995-2001
The old, still-preserved palace of the Embassy, originally a private Villa, built in 1871 by Friedrich Hitzig and expanded in 1910 by Paul Baumgarten, has been renovated and enlarged with a new building on its East side by Diener & Diener. The older part of the building complex facilitates a historical continuity with the earlier closed Alsen district, while combined, both buildings simultaneously appear as an autonomous solitaire. The expansion runs contrary to the schematic of neoclassical facade patterns by creating breaks and openings in the walls of the building. This structural departure corresponds to the construction of the houses. On the West side, a cube-shaped relief, designed by Helmut Federle, decorates the fire wall, providing a harmonious completion. The Swiss artist, Pippilotti Rist, presents her installation in the courtyard.

Shopping Center and Migros School, Luzern, 1995-2000
After a lengthy discussion concerning the historical hall of the Schweizerhof Hotel, Diener & Diener designed a complex for the Migros company, which fulfilled the urban and architectural demands of this environment. Across from the Matthäuskirche, the new complex serves as a mundane Basillica. The building is a steel frame construction that guarantees a variety of placement options for the shops. The facade of the building is covered with glass and oxified copper plates and huge windows offer views from inside.

Housing Estates, Java Island, Amsterdam, 1995-2001
Two buildings in the area between the Java Island and the KNSM Island, near to the historical harbour of Amsterdam appear at the end of a row of superblocks (Albert, Kollhoff). Aesthetically and functionally diverse, both designs succeed in connecting the old wharf to the the city.

Ruhr Museum Mine Zolleverein, Essen, 1999-2002
One of the largest mines of the Ruhrgebiet, the Zeche Zolleverein Essen is protected as an industrial monument. New spaces will be created for the exhibitions of the Ruhr Museum, because the transformation of the former industrial halls into the museum was problematic. In order to preserve the unique character of the industrial architecture and production processes, the way of the exhibition leads through depots, factories, and areas of production.

National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome, 2000-2003
The historically-developed complex of three different buildings (the old West wing (1911), the exposed facade of the building in between, and the newly-constructed modern wing on the North side) gives the impression of the multi-faceted organization of the museum from the outside. The new auditorium, whose transparent facade is decorated by sculptures, connects the old and new parts impressively. The new hall unifies the entire complex, as it shifts the museum entrance to the middle part.

Kunsthaus Centre PasquArt, Biel, 1994-1999
An L-shaped building leads the visitor around the Centre PasquArt. There, a system of spaces was created, which corresponds to the variety of the different exhibition halls. The corridor follows in the same direction as the staircase, in a flowing movement through the different floors. The new building is concrete construction with large, artificial stone plates, which appear green thanks to the sand and granite. This green coloration allows the new building to stand out against the older, gray sandstone complex.

Speaking at the opening: 
Kristin Feireiss
 Berlin/Rotterdam,
Dr. Thomas Borer-Fielding der Schweizer Botschafter in Berlin  
Wilfried Wang Berlin.