Fondation Beyeler

FondationBeyeler
Architect:RenzoPianoBuildingWorkshop,Paris/Genua
Lightingdesigner:Elektrizitäts-Aktiengesellschaft,Basel
Photographer:ThomasMayer
Place:Riehen,Basel
ThegallerymasterErnstBeyelerfromBasleiswithoutdoubt
amongstthemostimportantcontemporaryartdealersand
collectors.
Asearlyas1991hisfoundationtrust,FondationBeyeler,entrusted
theGenoesearchitectRenzoPianowiththetaskofworkingouta
buildingconceptforacollector'smuseum.
EmbeddedintheBerowerparkintheBaslesuburbofRiehen,the
newbuildingseemstobetheepitomeofadreammuseumsinceit
evidentlyhasnootherpurposethantobeanunobtrusive
backgroundforshowingofftheartworks.Itissituatednexttothe
18thcenturyBerowerVilla,inwhichtherestaurantand
administrationareaareaccommodated.
Actinginclosecollaborationwiththegallery,thetrustfounderand
thetown,RenzoPianohascreatedanidealbuildingforthe
presentationofoldandmodernart.
Thestructureis127mlonganditselongatedfromisreminiscentof
aship.Themuseumisprotectedagainstthenoiseofthestreet's
heavytrafficbyawallcladwithporphyry.
Foursupportingwallsrunningfromnorthtosouthandstanding
7mapartdefinetheplanofthebuilding.Movablepartitioningwalls
createabout19rectangular,groundfloorroomswithanexhibition
areaof2,700m².
Theunusualthingaboutthearchitectureisthatitunitestwobasic
yetcontrastingthemes:solid,lengthywallsandalightglassroof
'floating'overhead.Thecomplexroofconstructionisspreadover
thegallerieslikea4,000m²canopy.864louveredscreensinsawtoothformationaffordprotectionfromthesun.
Thebuildingopensontotheparkviaaconservatoryandthereby
establishesadirectrelationshipbetweenindoorsandoutdoors.
MatchingthehuesofBasleCathedral'ssandstone,alltheexternal
wallsarecladwithredporphyrystonefromPatagonia.
Theclearlinesofthearchitecturemeansthatone'sgazecan
concentrateontheartworks.Thereisnoprescribedroute:visitors
strollthroughthegalleriesallowingtheentrancestotheroomsto
lurethemin.Onlyahandfulofmuseumscanaffordthemselvesthe
luxuryofsuchagenerouslyspacedpresentationasisthecasewith
theFondationBeyeler.
Castorspotlightsarealsousedintheroomsatbasementlevelmountedwithtransadapterson3-circuittrackandcombinedwith
downlightsandrecessedwallwashersforcompactfluorescent
lamps.
Thankstothemuseum'sglazedfront,thegardenandthesurfaceof
thewateroutsidebothformabackdropagainstwhichworkssuch
asRodin'smaletorsoinbronzearepresented.
Warm,directedlight,emittedbysuspendedCastorspotlightsfor
low-voltagehalogenlamps,shapestheindividualsculptures.
Asaw-toothroofconstructionservesasanexternalsunscreen.The
angledglasspanels,whiteenamelledonthereverse,reducedirect
sunlightwhileallowingthediffuselightfromthenorthtoshine
intotheexhibitionroomsunhindered.
Hiddenbehinda'velum'ofametalgridspannedwithtransparent
material,Optecfloodlightsevenlybrightentheverticalsurfaces.
Combinedwiththefiltereddaylightfromhighabove,thisgivesrise
toamuchmorefavourablecontrastintheroomthanwith
conventionaloverheadlighting.
Anadditionalglazedlevelformsa1.40mhighfalseceiling.Thiscan
beheatedtocompensateforlowertemperaturesinwinterandalso
servesasalocationfortechnicalinstallations.Thelighting
equipmentislocatedhereaswellasthesensor-controlled,movable
louvresforautomaticregulationofthenaturallight.
Baselstrasse101,CH-4125Riehen/Basel
Tel.:+41616459700
Fax:+41616459719
Dailyfrom10:00am-6:00pm
Wednesdaystill8:00pm
www.beyeler.com
fondation(at)beyeler.com
Architect:RenzoPiano
www.rpwf.org
Historyofthecollection
Inthepast50years,ErnstBeyelerhasestablishedhimselfasoneof
themostrenownedartdealersforclassicalmodernart.Beyeler's
careerbeganatthebeginningofthe1940's.Asastudentof
economicsandthehistoryofart,heworkedasanassistantatOskar
Schloss'antiquedealers.Afterthedeathofhismentorhetookover
thebusiness,butin1947hetransformedthebookshopintoanart
shop.HisfirstexhibitswereJapanesewoodcuttings.Thesewere
followedbyillustrationsfromAlbrechtDürerandRembrandt,Henri
deToulouse-LautrecandPaulKlee.FollowingdrawingsbyAuguste
RodinandPabloPicasso,in1951hepresentedpaintingsbyPierre
Bonnard,PaulGauguinandHenriMatisseforthefirsttime.Like
manyotherartdealersofhisgenerationErnstBeyelerdeveloped
intoagreatcollector.Hiscollectioncurrentlystandsatnearly160
picturesandsculpturesfrom33artists.Initially,itwasmainlyworks
thatdidnotsellthatendedupinhiscollection-likeKandinsky's
'Improvisation10'(1910).Theseweresubsequentlyjoinedbythose
artworksthatBeyelernolongerwantedtopartwith.Justhow
extensiveandsignificantthecollectionhadreallybecomefirst
becamecleartothepublic-andallegedlyalsotothecollector
himself-when,ontheinvitationoftheSpanishMinisterfor
Culture,itwaspresentedintheCentrodeArteReina,Sofia,Madrid
in1989.ItthenwentondisplayintheBerlinNationalGalleryin
1993.Theideaofbuildingamuseumsolelydedicatedtothe
collectionwasalreadyafootquiteearlyon:In1991,RenzoPiano
wasentrustedbythefoundationwiththetaskofworkingouta
buildingconcept.Lessthantwoyearsafterthemuseum's
inaugurationinAutumn1997,thebuildingwaslengthenedby12
metres.Thisincreasedtheexhibitionareaby458m²toitscurrent
3,764m².