Architecture

Model 1:500, Kirchner Museum with expansion. © Modellbau Zaborowsky GmbH, Duri Hess | The model is exhibited at the Kirchner Museum Davos.
Feasibility Study Kirchner Museum Davos Expansion. Gigon/Guyer Architects, Zurich.

WHY IS THE EXPANSION NECESSARY?

To showcase the remarkable Ulmberg Collection to the public at the Kirchner Museum Davos, an expansion of the building is essential. The current exhibition spaces and storage facilities are insufficient to accommodate additional works. Only through an expansion will the museum continue to grow as a leading art institution and provide an appropriate setting for this valuable collection.

THE PLANNED EXPANSION

The building, designed in 1992 by the renowned architectural duo Gigon/Guyer, has become an iconic piece of modern architecture with international appeal. In the spirit of forward-thinking development, Gigon/Guyer have once again been commissioned to create a detailed feasibility study for the planned expansion. This study will lay the foundation for a new era at the museum, where tradition and innovation seamlessly come together.

More information about the original 1992 museum building can be found here

Computer-controlled daylight ceiling in one of the galleries.

THE ARCHITECTS

Annette Gigon and Mike Guyer, both graduates of ETH Zurich in architecture, have been making their mark in the field since 1989 as the creative force behind Gigon/Guyer Architekten in Zurich. Their innovative designs have gained them early recognition with landmark projects such as the Kirchner Museum Davos, the Kunstmuseum in Appenzell, and the Archaeological Museum in Kalkriese, Germany.

In recent years, their portfolio has expanded beyond museum architecture to include impressive residential and commercial buildings, including the iconic Prime Tower in Zurich, the Würth House in Rorschach, and the renovation of the Löwenbräu site.

From 2012 to 2023, Gigon and Guyer served as full professors of architecture and construction at ETH Zurich’s Department of Architecture (D-ARCH), shaping the next generation of architects. Their work has garnered accolades both domestically and internationally, including the prestigious Fritz Schumacher Prize in Germany, the RIBA Fellowship in the UK, and the Daylight Award, one of Switzerland’s highest honors in architecture.