Paul Klee centre in Bern
“Built landscape” – the new construction at the suburbia of Bern is called, which is dedicated to Paul Klee.
The Italian architect Renzo Piano, well known from the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, has named the built topography “terrain articulation”. The three hilly heights of the building he sees as a landscape sculpture. They fit as well into the present as also into the artificial environment. The architect has surely been inspired by foothills of the Alps as well as by Klee´s paintings. All in all 1.200 tonnes of steel have been integrated. It was the architect´s wish to show the carrying structure at in- and outsides. Therefore there had to be high carriers. They were placed very close for aesthetical reasons. The proximity of the steel sheets to each other enables a precise hill imitation. 40 km manually welded seams stabilize the curved steel joists of the supporting structure. 63 meter span the up to 18 meter high bows at the front side. Polished completion of the wavelike roof: the main supporters have a ridge shaped form. They were finished with 0,4mm thin stainless steel, surface UGITOP. The roof structure ends in leafy earth-filled sags – a flowing change into landscape.
