Beyeler Foundation Museum

The building occupies a long and narrow plot of land adorned with centuries-old trees. It is bordered by a road on its eastern edge and by cultivated fields to the west, which stretch across the entire valley. The museum’s design features a precise site plan, consisting of four primary walls of equal length that run north-south along the perimeter. These walls, measuring 127 meters in length and 4.8 meters in height, are constructed from reinforced concrete and clad in red porphyry stone sourced from Patagonia. The stone’s texture and hue evoke the material used for Basel Cathedral, creating a connection to historical architecture.

The cross-section of the structure is more dynamic, with the walls varying in height. The easternmost wall extends into the park, forming a low barrier that guides visitors toward the entrance. The design cleverly integrates the natural slope of the terrain, while the glass roof appears to float above the solid walls, lending the building a light and ethereal quality.

The inner spaces of the museum are organised by the four traversing walls and, north and south, the galleries end with floor to ceiling windows that are 6.8m wide and 5m high. These vast windows connect the indoors with the outside and help to establish a dialogue between the works of art on display and the surrounding landscape. Along the western side, the intimate rooms of the museum are flanked by a long narrow winter garden encased in glass: a space for contemplation and rest.