After the Bündner Kunstverein began in 1900 to build its own art collection, the Bündner Kunstmuseum was created in 1919 inside the neoclassical Villa Planta in Chur. Its collection focuses mainly on local art, such as works by Angelika Kauffmann and the Giacometti family, and also features recent works by Matias Spescha, HR Giger and Not Vital.
Villa Planta
Villa Planta was originally built in 1874 and 1875 to plans by Johannes Ludwig for Jacques Ambrosius von Planta. The surprising golden dome in the Byzantine style can be explained by von Planta's profession as a cotton merchant in Alexandria. From 1987 to 1989, Villa Planta was restored by architects Peter Zumthor, Peter Calonder and Hans-Jörg Ruch.
The spectacular ceiling of Villa Planta
Bündner Kunstmuseum - Villa Planta
Bündner Kunstmuseum - Villa Planta
2016 extension building
The new extension building designed by Spanish architecture studio Barozzi/Veiga was completed in 2016. In order to minimize the surface the cube occupies, it not only contains 4 upper storeys but also 3 underground ones. The beautiful structure of the facade is created by the repetition of fine-grained concrete squares.
Bündner Kunstmuseum - new extension by Barozzi/Veiga
Bündner Kunstmuseum - new extension by Barozzi/Veiga
Bündner Kunstmuseum - new extension by Barozzi/Veiga
At street level are located the ticket office and the museum bookstore. The lower levels are used by the permanent collection while the upper levels are used for temporary exhibitions.
Bündner Kunstmuseum - inside the extension by Barozzi/Veiga
Bündner Kunstmuseum - staircase in the extension by Barozzi/Veiga
The connection to Villa Planta also happens underground.
Bündner Kunstmuseum - an underground passage connects the extension building to Villa Planta
