“Zu­kunft Kunst­mu­se­um Bern” pro­ject

The expansion from 1984 is in urgent need of renovation. Otherwise it might have to be closed. Efficient and resource-friendly operation mean that the renovated building complex and new replacement building will offer more space for culture while still keeping operating costs stable. Unless its infrastructure is improved, the Kunstmuseum Bern will no longer be competitive.

Brightly lit exhibition rooms, a redesigned entrance and foyer zone, a modern events room, an opening toward Hodlerstrasse and the hillside on the Aare as well as digital and analogue art education: the museum of the future will facilitate new culture and art experiences for a broader, more diverse public. The focus will be on meeting visitors’ needs.

Renovation, conversion, new building and operation all meet climate protection and energy efficiency criteria. The new Kunstmuseum is a “sustainable Museum” and embraces sustainability in another sense (economic, ecological, social): by optimising its costs over the course of the building’s lifecycle and making a positive contribution to the region’s economy.

The renovation project is a joint effort. It was developed in collaboration with partners and is now intended to be financed jointly by the public sector, private sponsors, and businesses. Everyone will benefit from a renovated Kunstmuseum with greater flair. In a first, innovative step, the fundraising project Kunstmuseum Bern INFINITE was launched in May 2023.

The Kunstmuseum Bern is shaping its future in close dialogue with the people of Bern. The Museum issued an invitation to participate in an open dialogue on the topic between December 2018 and July 2019. It also talked to the people of Bern and visitors at public panel events, workshops, in surveys conducted during the “A Night at the Museum” event, and online to establish which needs the museum building of the future needs to meet. At the same time, some 50 workshops were conducted with the associated foundations, support associations, political representatives, businesses, the neighbouring police force as well as special-interest associations to provide information about the goals and opportunities of the Kunstmuseum of the future.