The architectural team
The young and innovative office of Schmidlin Architekten (Zurich and Engadine) has experience with complex public construction projects and deals intensively with conversions and extensions to listed buildings in urban and rural contexts.
In Susch, in Lower Engadine, the team converted several historic buildings, some dating back to the 12th century, into a museum for contemporary art. The team managed to preserve the protected historic buildings while at the same time creating new exhibition rooms that meet modern requirements. In 2019, Muzeum Susch was selected as Building of the Year by Swiss-Architects. The firm is currently working on the conversion and renovation of the Historic Museum Thurgau in Frauenfeld Castle, a listed building. In Würenlingen in Canton Aargau, the team converted a late-Baroque listed farmhouse in the historic village centre into a cultural centre and added an extension; this houses the public library, exhibition rooms and a hall. In Basel, Schmidlin Architekten created an art gallery on the premises of a former car repair workshop. In 2014, the firm won the award for sustainable construction in the Alpine region for its restoration of a listed 500-year-old barn (Stalla Madulain project).
“By separating the individual buildings and setting the new building back, we can create a public space where visitors can perceive the three buildings as a single unit while still experiencing them individually. This approach will restore the original strong charisma to the old museum – the Stettler Building.”
Chasper Schmidlin, architect and founder of Schmidlin Architekten
Interview with Chasper Schmidlin in KunstEinsicht magazine (in German)
What the museum will offer in the future
Bright and airy exhibition rooms enhance art appreciation. You can look forward to an inviting entrance to the building, spacious mediation rooms, attractive food service options and spaces you’ll enjoy spending time in.
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