Bundesplatz

Last updated

Bundesplatz
Bern Bundesplatz.PNG
Old City of Bern with Bundesplatz highlighted
Location Old City of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Postal code3011
Coordinates 46°56′49.25″N7°26′38.82″E / 46.9470139°N 7.4441167°E / 46.9470139; 7.4441167

The Bundesplatz (literally: the "Federal Square") is the Government Plaza in Bern, the de facto capital city of Switzerland. It is situated in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern. It is part of the Innere Neustadt which was built during the second expansion in 1255 to 1260, though the plaza was not built until much later. It is located in front of the Bundeshaus , the Swiss Parliament Building, and it is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

Contents

History

The western third of the modern Bundesplatz was originally part of the ditch around the second city wall. In 1765, a plaza was built in the area between the Ballenhaus and the Holzwerkhof. [1] Ballenhaus was demolished in 1820 to make way for the Casino and was located on the site of the modern east wing of the Parliament at Bundesplatz 15. [2] The Holzwerkhof was demolished to make way for the Bundeshaus West and was located at Bundesgasse 1. [3] The new plaza construction was overseen by Niklaus Hebler, who planted Linden trees on the plaza and fenced in the southern side with a balustrade which overlooked the lower city and Aare river. Between 1894 and 1900, the new Bundeshaus was built, and a number of buildings were demolished which increased the size of the plaza. Until 1909, it was known as Parlamentplatz.

For almost a century, the plaza served as a parking lot. Following a national competition in 1991 to decide the future of the plaza, the winning proposal Platz als Platz designed by Stephan Mundwiler, AIA (the founding principal, Lee + Mundwiler Architects, based in Basel and Los Angeles) and Stauffenegger+Stutz, visual design in Basel, Switzerland, began in 2002. The project was finished on 31 July 2004 and officially unveiled on 1 August 2004 during the Swiss National Day celebration.

The Platz als Platz project was recognized in 2006 with the Honor Award for Urban Design by the American Institute of Architects, initiated by the designer, Stephan Mundwiler, Swiss-American architect.

Photos

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basel</span> City in Switzerland

Basel, also known as Basle, is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine. Basel is Switzerland's third-most-populous city, with 164,488 inhabitants within the city municipality limits. The official language of Basel is German, but the main spoken language is the local Basel German dialect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cantons of Switzerland</span> Member states of the Swiss Confederation

The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the Swiss Confederation. The nucleus of the Swiss Confederacy in the form of the first three confederate allies used to be referred to as the Waldstätte. Two important periods in the development of the Old Swiss Confederacy are summarized by the terms Acht Orte and Dreizehn Orte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Palace of Switzerland</span> Swiss parliament and government building

The Federal Palace is a building in Bern housing the Swiss Federal Assembly (legislature) and the Federal Council (executive). It is the seat of the government of Switzerland and parliament of the country. The building is a listed symmetrical complex just over 300 metres (980 ft) long. It is considered one of the most important historic buildings in the country and listed in the Swiss Inventory of Cultural Assets of National Importance. It consists of three interconnected buildings in the southwest of Bern's old city. The two chambers of the Federal Assembly, the National Council and Council of States, meet in the parliament building on Bundesplatz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old City (Bern)</span> Medieval city center of Bern

The Old City is the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. Built on a narrow hill bordered on three sides by the river Aare, its compact layout has remained essentially unchanged since its construction during the twelfth to the fifteenth century. Despite a major fire in 1405, after which much of the city was rebuilt in sandstone, and substantial construction efforts in the eighteenth century, Bern's old city has retained its medieval character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beatles-Platz</span> Plaza in the St. Pauli quarter in Hamburg

The Beatles-Platz is a plaza in the St. Pauli quarter in Hamburg, Germany, at the crossroads of Reeperbahn and Große Freiheit. It is circular, with a diameter of 29 metres (95 ft) and paved black to make it look like a vinyl record. Surrounding the place are five statues, representing The Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Stuart Sutcliffe, George Harrison, and a hybrid of drummers Pete Best and Ringo Starr each of whom played with The Beatles at times during their Hamburg engagements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junkerngasse</span>

The Junkerngasse is a street in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It connects the tip of the Aar peninsula to the Münster.

Bümpliz-Oberbottigen is a Stadtteil (district) of the city of Bern, Switzerland. It is situated to the west of the city center and consists of the Quartiere (quarters) Bümpliz, Oberbottigen, Stöckacker, Bethlehem and Brünnen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herrengasse (Bern)</span>

The Herrengasse is one of the streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It was the southernmost street of the old Zähringerstadt of Bern and ended at the first city wall. Three buildings on the Herrengasse are listed on the Swiss inventory of heritage site of national significance and it is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kochergasse</span> Street in the Old City of Bern

The Kochergasse is one of the streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the Innere Neustadt which was built during the expansion of 1255 to 1260. It runs in front of the Bundeshaus East and it is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Münsterplatz (Bern)</span> Plaza in the Old City of Bern

The Münsterplatz is a plaza in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the Zähringerstadt which was built during the foundation of the old city in 1191. It is located in front of the Cathedral and it is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schauplatzgasse</span>

The Schauplatzgasse is one of the streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the Äussere Neustadt which was built during the third expansion from 1344 to 1346. It runs from Bundesplatz in front of the Bundeshaus to Bubenbergplatz and is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of the Holy Ghost, Bern</span> Church in Bern, Switzerland

The Church of the Holy Ghost is a Swiss Reformed Church in Bern, Switzerland. The Swiss heritage site of national significance building is located at Spitalgasse 44 in the Old City of Bern. It is one of largest Swiss Reformed churches in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zeughausgasse</span>

The Zeughausgasse is one of the streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the Innere Neustadt which was built during the second expansion in 1255 to 1260. The eastern end is at Kornhausplatz while the western end is at Waisenhausplatz. It is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bärenplatz</span>

The Bärenplatz is a plaza in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the Innere Neustadt which was built during the second expansion from 1255 to 1260. It is located north of Bundesplatz, west of Käfigturm and south of Waisenhausplatz. It is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bahnhofplatz</span> City square in Bern, Switzerland

The Bahnhofplatz is a plaza just outside the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It was built following the destruction of the Christoffelturm which had been part of the third city wall. It is located north of Bubenbergplatz and surrounds the Heiliggeistkirche and Bern's central train station. It is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bubenbergplatz</span> Plaza in the Old City of Bern

The Bubenbergplatz is a plaza in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the area outside the third city walls. It is located south-west of Bahnhofplatz and is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kornhausplatz</span>

The Kornhausplatz is a plaza in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is on the edge of the Zähringerstadt which was built during the founding of the city in 1191, though the plaza wasn't built until later. It is located near the Kornhausbrücke and the Zytglogge clock tower. It is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

Lee + Mundwiler Architects is an architectural design studio based in Los Angeles, California and Basel, Switzerland. Made up of founding architects Cara Lee and Stephan Mundwiler, the studio is known for its clean, modern, and sustainable design along with futuristic concepts and theoretical industrial design.

Cara Lee is Korean-born American Shopper and co-founder of the firm Lee + Mundwiler Architects based in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strassburger memorial</span> Monument in Basel

The Strassburger memorial is a monument in Basel established in memory of the help the civil population of Strassburg received from Switzerland during the Franco-Prussian war in 1870-1871. It was modeled by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and is located in a park across from the Basel railway station.

References

  1. ↑ Weber, Berchtold (1976). Historisch-topographisches Lexikon der Stadt Bern. Archived from Bundesplatz the original on 29 September 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2010.{{cite book}}: Check |url= value (help)(in German)
  2. ↑ Weber - Ballenhaus Archived September 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ Weber - Holzwerkhof Archived September 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine


46°56′49.25″N7°26′38.82″E / 46.9470139°N 7.4441167°E / 46.9470139; 7.4441167

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.