The Beyeler Foundation boasts one of the world’s most distinguished art collections, featuring masterpieces by Monet, Miró, and Picasso. Now, Swiss architect Peter Zumthor has returned to his hometown of Basel to present an £110 million extension that raises questions about whether the addition honors its prestigious housing or resembles a high-end retail space.
Reflecting on his origins in the early 1960s, Zumthor recalled designing his first cupboard while working as a teenage apprentice in his father’s cabinet-making workshop. He described the profound satisfaction of achieving a perfect fit, where the door closed with a distinctive “sucking sound.” This experience instilled in him what he calls a deep “Basel pride in the well-built object,” a value system that has persisted throughout his six-decade career.
Today, the 83-year-old architect stands before his latest creation, beaming with local pride. As his first project in Basel, the new gallery is designed to appear as if it were chiseled directly from the earth. The structure features monolithic walls of pale, crumbly rammed concrete, layered meticulously into shape. The entrance is marked by substantial oak and bronze doors, their handles wrapped in leather cord, closing with the same tactile, expensive precision Zumthor cherished in his youth.
Is rammed concrete actually sustainable, or is this just another status symbol for the ultra-wealthy collectors? Need more data here.
That door handle detail is fascinating. It really does sound like pure tactile obsession, not just luxury branding.
I worry the price tag overshadows the craftsmanship. Does art need such an opulent frame to feel valuable?