E2A’s competition entry for the expansion of the Buendner Kunstmueum in Chur proposes the addition of a new entity connected underground to the existing Villa Planta.
Located at the corner of Graben- and Zeughausstrasse, the proposal respects the existing urban structure while creating an urban square oriented toward the entry of the new building.
The historical villa continues to exhibit the permanent collection. In the new construction, secondary spaces such as the café, museum shop, and foyer are concentrated on the ground floor while the upper floors house temporary exhibition areas as well as workshop and educational rooms. Circulation following each of the volume’s chamfers guides visitors continuously through the spaces in the upper floors.
The exterior of the addition is clad with vertically fluted concrete elements that enter a dialogue with the neighboring buildings. The proposed design ultimately forms an urban ensemble with the historical Villa Planta.
