Federal Palace of Switzerland
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Federal Palace | |
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Bundeshaus (German) Palais fédéral (French) Palazzo federale (Italian) Chasa federala (Romansh) Curia Confœderationis Helveticæ (Latin) | |
General information | |
Address | Bundesplatz 3 CH-3005 Bern |
Town or city | Bern |
Country | Switzerland |
Completed | 1 April 1902 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Hans Wilhelm Auer |
Other information | |
Public transit access | By foot from main railway station |
Website | |
Federal Palace |
The Federal Palace is a building in
The oldest part of the Federal Palace is the west wing (then called "Bundes-Rathaus", now "Bundeshaus West"), built from 1852 to 1857 under Jakob Friedrich Studer. The building united the federal administration, government and parliament under one roof. To solve pressing space problems, the east wing ("Bundeshaus Ost") was built from 1884 to 1892 under
The west wing on Bundesgasse is the headquarters of two departments of the Federal Administration, and houses the Federal Chancellery and the Parliamentary Library; the Federal Council also holds its meetings here. Two other departments have their headquarters in the east wing on Kochergasse. The sobriety of the two wings corresponds to their main purpose as administrative buildings, contrasting with the more monumental parliament building constructed in
Location and urban classification
The Federal Palace is located on the south-western edge of the
Despite its size and dominant position, the Federal Palace blends into the cityscape due to the use of Bernese sandstone for the facades. The other buildings in the old town are also made of this building material, which has a greenish-grey colour.[1] The Federal Palace is flanked by the former Hotel Bernerhof in the west and the Hotel Bellevue Palace in the east, which is also the official residence for state guests. In addition to the Federal Palace, the cantonal bank building and the building of the Swiss National Bank border the federal square. The mountain station of the Marzili Funicular, which leads down to the Marzili district, is located on the Bundesterrasse between Federal Palace West and the Bernerhof .
The old
Planning and construction history
Initial position
The modern Swiss
The Burgergemeinde Bern was a public corporation representing the city's citizens and the powerful patriciates , and thus the superior municipality during the period. With a narrow majority, their assembly accepted the election of Bern as the federal city. However, it also transferred responsibility for the construction of the parliament and government building to the municipality, which had been formed only 15 years previously. The federal government lacked the authority to construct its own buildings, but this decision accelerated the political disempowerment of the civic community by liberal forces. This process was completed in 1852 with the transfer of autonomy to the Einwohnergemeinde Bern and the separation of property (division of assets).
In February 1849, the Federal Council commissioned the city authorities to survey suitable locations for a central building. The building was to accommodate the halls of both chambers of parliament, rooms for the Federal Council, 96 offices and the
Modest beginnings: West wing
The official jury consisted of the architects Melchior Berri, Ludwig Friedrich Osterrieth, Robert Roller and Gustav Albert Wegmann , as well as the building inspector Bernhard Wyss.[8] Out of 37 submitted designs, that of Ferdinand Stadler emerged victorious. The jury awarded three further prizes: second place went to Felix Wilhelm Kubly , third to Johann Carl Dähler, and fourth to Jean Franel. A special jury appointed by the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA), but which had no influence on the project, judged the three first-place designs in reverse order of precedence.[9]
The losing competitors were assigned the central wing to the council chambers and the side wings to the administration. Dähler and Franel designed the larger National Council chamber in the form of an
Some critics disliked the staggering of the building and the continuous round arches. Stadler was put off by the objections and revised his design, adding classical elements. The revised design, however, met with even less approval. On 23 June 1851, the Bern City Council decided to commission the master builder Jakob Friedrich Studer to prepare a new design. Studer, who had not participated in the competition, adopted Stadler's original design and reintroduced the staggering while strengthening the round-arched style instead of toning it down.[11] The revision found favor and Studer was awarded the building contract. After the terrace had been filled in, the foundation stone was laid on 21 September 1852. The ceremonial handover took place on 5 June 1857 following five years of construction.[12]
In 1858, the
The building owner, the city of Bern, placed far greater value on properly functioning
A project by Frank Buchser did not come to fruition: the victory of the Northern states in the American Civil War had triggered a wave of sympathy rallies in Switzerland. At the end of 1865, Buchser planned a mural in the National Council Chamber depicting the most important American personalities of the time, which was intended to express Switzerland's solidarity with the United States. Although he was able to produce portraits of numerous prominent people during his four-year stay in America, General Ulysses S. Grant refused to appear in the group portrait because his opponent Robert E. Lee was also to be depicted, and it was not done.[17]
Lack of space: East wing
The 1874 Swiss constitutional referendum approved a new constitution which came into effect on 29 May 1874, resulting in a marked devolution of power from the cantons to the Confederation. The rapidly-growing federal administration soon complained of an acute shortage of space. The Federal Council asked the city to provide sufficient working space for the numerous new federal offices but Bern was unable meet this demand. In 1876, the city therefore ceded the Federal Town Hall and the responsibility for extensions and new buildings to the Confederation.[18] In 1861, the third floor of the central wing was opened to the Bernese Art Society. The transfer of its collection to the new Museum of Fine Arts in 1879 only temporarily alleviated the lack of space.[8]
The federal government acquired Kleine Schanze west of the Hotel Bernerhof for a building site in 1876. It announced a competition for an administrative building to be used by the military, railroad and trade departments. Only a year later however, the project was abandoned; the Universal Postal Monument stands on the site today. In 1880, the federal government purchased the Inselspital building, which was separated from the Federal Town Hall by the casino. The initial plan was to rebuild the it, but the National Council demanded a new building. The Federal Superintendent of Buildings decided instead to erect a parliament building between the new building and the existing Federal Town Hall (i.e. instead of the casino) in a second stage.[19][8] In accordance with this intention, the Confederation announced an architectural competition on 23 February 1885, with Louis Bezencenet, James Édouard Collin, Johann Christoph Kunkler , Heinrich Viktor von Segesser, and Arnold Geiser, as well as Arnold Flückiger, adjunct of the Superintendent of Buildings, serving as judges.[20]
Of 36 designs submitted, the one by
The federal administration and parliamentarians liked Auer's dome motif. In 1887, the Federal Assembly overrode the decision of the jury and awarded the building contract for Federal Palace East to Auer. It passed over Bluntschli on the grounds that the competition was primarily concerned with the basic disposition; the design of the parliament building would be decided on at a later date.[19] The Inselspital, which had stood empty since 1884, was demolished in 1887. Construction on Federal Palace East began in late 1888 and was completed in May 1892.[23] While marble had been used sparingly as a decorative stone in the Bundes-Rathaus (known as the Federal Palace West from 1895), nine different types of stone were used in the interior of Federal Palace East.[1] The extensive construction project offered the opportunity to upgrade the Federal Superstructure Inspectorate to the Directorate for Federal Buildings, from which the modern-day Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics is established.[20]
National monument: Parliament building
In 1891, the architects Auer and Bluntschli received an invitation to another architectural competition. At the express wish of the Federal Council, the jury was international, comprising Léo Châtelain, Ernst Jung,
Bluntschli was aware that the Federal Palace East had created a fait accompli and that without a dome, the parliament building would hardly stand out among the symmetrical buildings. He abandoned his architectural restraint and tried to outdo his competitor with a pompous domed building reminiscent of the
Auer drew up the plans and took into account the criticism of his professional colleagues. By extending the dome space to form a
Auer intended to represent Switzerland symbolically in the parliament building through the use of stone deposits all over the country. In order to realize this goal, he assigned a central role to this ideal in his planning. This goal was not fully achieved but nevertheless, all significant stones of Switzerland were used. They embody the diversity of the country according to
No fewer than 30 types of stone from 13 different cantons and
Auer also planned the rest of the design of the Federal Palace, personally selecting most the 38
The Swiss Confederation bought the casino property from the city, after which construction began on the parliament building on 5 September 1894. The Federal Terrace on the south side was extended, but not all the way to the Kirchenfeld Bridge as originally planned. On 11 April 1900, the erection of the large dome was celebrated.[24] The handover of the parliament building took place on the morning of 1 April 1902 in an official ceremony. The construction costs for the parliament building amounted to 7.2 million francs (about 700 million in today's terms). Of this, 16.2% was spent on artistic decoration.[34]
Structural changes
After the opening of the parliament building, the two council chambers in Federal Palace West were abolished; their original use can only be guessed at. Instead of the Council of States hall, offices and a post office counter were built (in operation until 2005). The former National Council Chamber was reduced in size and further subdivided by an iron construction with stairs and walkways. It has since housed a library for use by employees of the federal administration and members of parliament, which is not open to the public except for special occasions, for security reasons.[35]
Over the course of time, the use of space in the parliament building was repeatedly adapted to changing, often short-term needs. In addition to necessary technical improvements, however, remodeling works were carried out in the 1960s. In numerous rooms, vaults, ceilings and wall partitions were covered up or demolished. Coloured wallpaper was painted over with white paint and
Restorations and renovations
In 1991, the National Council commission charged with drafting parliamentary reform decided to examine a far-reaching expansion of the parliament's premises.[37] In a project competition, Mario Botta's proposal for an extension in the form of a citadel-like structure on the slope below the parliament building prevailed. Massive historic preservation and urban planning concerns were however raised against the project,[38] and it was abandoned by the National Council on 17 March 1993 at the request of the Parliamentary Reform Commission, on the grounds of the federal government's poor financial situation.[39] Later that year, the National Council Chamber underwent extensive restoration for the first time since its inauguration.[40] For this reason, the Councillors held a session outside Bern for the first time ever in Geneva. In 1999, at the suggestion of Council of States member Dick Marty, the Federal Assembly decided to hold the 2001 spring session in Lugano.[41] This made it possible to restore the Hall of the Council of States as well.[42]
The differing demands of parliamentarians, media and the administration using the Federal Palace led to ever greater organizational problems. Parliamentarians complained about the lack of rooms for meetings and secretariats, and that their individual workplaces were located too far away from the council chambers on the top floor of the Federal Palace East. A complete renovation of the building services was put on the agenda.[38] The renovation was aimed should satisfy the needs of the members of the council, and reinforce the architectural and artistic concepts of Hans Wilhelm Auer. The first stage was the relocation of the workplaces of the media representatives. To this end, a new media center was built between October 2003 and May 2006 in the buildings at Bundesgasse 8-12 (located opposite the Federal Palace West); the construction and equipping costs amounted to 42.5 million francs.[43] Work on Federal Palace West began in February 2005 and lasted just over three years. The main focus was on renovating the facade and the roof. New workspaces were also added, the attic converted, and various security and fire protection measures improved.[44]
The National Council and the Council of States approved 83 million Swiss francs for this as part of the 2004 and 2006 civil construction programs. In June 2006, the first comprehensive renovation and restoration of the parliament building began under the direction of the architectural firm Aebi & Vincent. Taking inflation and various additional costs, the final cost was 103 million Swiss francs.
In the summer and fall of 2011, the Council of States hall was renovated, and from September 2012 to March 2016, the renovation of the Federal House East took place to conclude the project. In addition to a selective renovation of the building exterior, this included a comprehensive renovation of the interiors with a clean-up of the room structures, and renewal of the building and security technology.[48] During the renovations, construction workers uncovered the vaulted cellars of the former Inselspital in the fall of 2012. These massive rooms, made of large sandstone blocks, once stored the natural resources used to finance the hospital and care for its patients.[49] In the summer of 2019, the visitor entrance at the Bundesterrasse side was rebuilt due to security considerations.[50]
Parliament building
Dome and facade
The central assembly building is dominated by a domed hall in the layout of a
To mark the 175th anniversary of the Swiss Federal Constitution, the work of art "Tilo",[52] installed on the tympanum of the Parliament building, was inaugurated on 12 September 2023.[53] The title of the work is a tribute to the first black National Councillor Tilo Frey. The work was designed by the artist duo Renée Levi and Marcel Schmid, and implemented by hand by a ceramics manufacturer in Sarnen.[53]
Organisation
- Federal Assembly
- Hall of the dome
- Visitor centre[54]
- West wing
- Federal Council[55]
- Federal Chancellery of Switzerland
- Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
- Federal Department of Justice and Police
- Parliamentary Library
- Carl Lutz Room.[56]
- East wing
- Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research
- Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
Trivia
As reported in a study by the Federal parliamentary services (Parlamentsdienste), the noise caused by human activities in the chamber of the National Council is clearly too loud. The previously undisclosed study was published by 10vor10 on 12 December 2014, pointing that the noise level is usually at a level of about 70 decibels, comparable to a used roadway, so concentration of work for politicians is not possible.[57]
Gallery
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Federal Palace from the South, with its West and East wings
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The central domed hall
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The Three Confederates
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Dome of the Federal Palace. The name Jura can be read at the bottom of the picture, indicating where the coat of arms of the Canton of Jura was placed after the secession from Berne in 1979
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The coat of arms of the canton has been added to the side of the dome in the Federal Palace in Bern.
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The salle des pas perdus
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The chamber of the National Council (and of the United Federal Assembly)
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The Council of States chamber
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Inside the west wing of the building
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A meeting room for political parties
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Full flags during state visit
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Statue of the Stauffacherin in the National Council Chamber
See also
- Bundesplatz
- Hotel Bellevue Palace
Notes
References
- ^ a b Labhart 2002, p. 4.
- ^ "Jüdische Präsenz im mittelalterlichen Bern" [Jewish presence in medieval Bern] (in German). Kanton Bern. 29 September 2009. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016.
- ^ "Informationstafel zur jüdischen Geschichte in der Stadt Bern" [Information board on Jewish history in the city of Bern] (in German). Kanton Bern. 29 September 2009. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016.
- ^ Kreis, Georg (20 March 2015). "Bundesstadt" [Federal City]. Historische Lexikon der Schweiz HLS (in German). Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ Bilfinger 2009, p. 2.
- ^ Bilfinger 2009, p. 5–6.
- ^ a b Labhart 2002, p. 6.
- ^ a b c Hauser & Röllin 1986, p. 467.
- ^ a b Hauser & Röllin 1986, p. 384.
- ^ a b c d "Das schweizerische Capitol" [The Swiss Capitol]. Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). 23 March 2002. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ Hauser & Röllin 1986, p. 385.
- ^ Bilfinger 2009, p. 6–7.
- ^ Stückelberger 1985, p. 187–188.
- ^ Hauser & Röllin 1986, p. 387.
- ^ Bilfinger 2009, p. 14.
- ^ Hauser & Röllin 1986, p. 532.
- ^ Stückelberger 1985, p. 188–189.
- ^ Hauser & Röllin 1986, p. 389.
- ^ a b Hauser & Röllin 1986, p. 390.
- ^ a b Hauser & Röllin 1986, p. 468.
- ^ Labhart 2002, p. 7.
- ^ Bilfinger 2009, p. 16–17.
- ^ Bilfinger 2009, p. 18.
- ^ a b Hauser & Röllin 1986, p. 469.
- ^ a b Hauser & Röllin 1986, p. 393.
- ^ a b Stückelberger 1985, p. 190.
- ^ Labhart 2002, p. 11–16.
- ^ Labhart 2002, p. 45–46.
- ^ Labhart 2002, p. 12–13.
- ^ Bilfinger 2009, p. 26.
- ^ a b c d Federal Chancellery of Switzerland (2017). The Parliament Building in Bern, Switzerland (PDF) (12/2017 ed.). Federal Chancellery of Switzerland. pp. 5–18.
- ^ Stückelberger 1985, p. 200.
- ^ Müller 2002, p. 155–156.
- ^ Stückelberger 1985, p. 199.
- ^ Parlamentsdienste (20 August 2018). "Wie aus dem Nationalratssaal eine Bibliothek wurde" [How the National Council Hall became a library]. The Federal Assembly — The Swiss Parliament (in German). Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ Furrer 2009, p. 18.
- ^ "Kommission des Nationalrates: Parlamentsreform" [Commission of the National Council: Parliamentary Reform] (PDF). Archives fédérales suisses (AFS) (in German). Bundesblatt. 16 May 1991. pp. 696–698. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ a b Furrer 2009, p. 20.
- ^ "Parlamentsgebäude. Erweiterungsbau" [Parliament building. Extension building] (PDF). Archives fédérales suisses (AFS) (in German). Amtliches Bulletin der Bundesversammlung, Nationalrat. 17 March 1993. pp. 466–467. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ "Das Parlamentsgebäude" [Parliament Building]. The Federal Assembly — The Swiss Parliament (in German). Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Organisation au Tessin de la session parlementaire de printemps 2001: la Délégation administrative et les Bureaux des conseils ont approuvé les propositions "budget" et "locaux" des Services du Parlement" [Organization in Ticino of the 2001 spring parliamentary session: the Administrative Delegation and the Council Offices approved the "budget" and "premises" proposals of the Parliamentary Services.]. The Federal Assembly — The Swiss Parliament (in German). 23 May 2000. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- .
- ^ "Medienzentrum Bundeshaus Bern" [Media center Bundeshaus Bern] (PDF). Marti Gesamtleistungen AG. p. de. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Umbau und Fassadensanierung Bundeshaus West" [Reconstruction and renovation of the facade of the West Federal Building]. Bundesamt für Bauten und Logistik (in German). 24 January 2005. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ a b Thema, Zum (21 November 2008). "Feierliche Eröffnung des renovierten Bundeshauses" [Official opening of the renovated Federal Palace]. Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ Furrer 2009, p. 23–24.
- ^ "Umbau und Sanierung Parlamentsgebäude 2006–2008" [Conversion and renovation of the Parliament building 2006-2008] (PDF). Bundesamt für Bauten und Logistik (in German). Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Bundeshaus Ost, Bern". Bundesamt für Bauten und Logistik BBL Bundesamt für Bauten und Logistik BBL (in German). 29 January 2014. Archived from the original on 1 May 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Bundeshaus Ost steht auf Kellern des früheren Inselspitals" [Bundeshaus Ost stands on the basement of the former Inselspital]. Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). 30 September 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Das Parlamentsgebäude ist im Sommer wegen Bauarbeiten für Besucher geschlossen" [The Parliament building is closed to visitors during the summer for construction work]. Die Bundesversammlung — Das Schweizer Parlament (in German). 8 June 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ a b c Stückelberger 1985, p. 185–234.
- ^ SwissCommunity. "Federal Palace to be completed at last". www.swisscommunity.org. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
- ^ a b Tilo Frey transformed the Federal Palace forever, euro.dayfr.com, 13th of September 2023
- ^ Visiting the Parliament Building, Federal Assembly (page visited on 11 September 2016).
- Le temps, Sunday 12 May 2013 (page visited on 11 September 2016).
- ^ "'Swiss Schindler' honoured with room in Federal Palace". The Local. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ "Lärmbelastung im Nationalrat deutlich zu hoch" (in German). 10vor10. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
Works cited
- Stückelberger, Johannes (1985). Die künstlerische Ausstattung des Bundeshauses in Bern [The artistic furnishings of the Federal Palace in Bern] (in German). Vol. 42. Zürich: Zeitschrift für Schweizerische Archäologie und Kunstgeschichte. .
- Hauser, Andreas; Röllin, Peter (1986). INSA: Inventar der neueren Schweizer Architektur, 1850-1920 - Städte. INSA : 2: Basel, Bellinzona, Bern, Volume 0 [INSA: Inventory of Recent Swiss Architecture, 1850-1920 - Cities. INSA : 2: Basel, Bellinzona, Berne, Volume 0] (in German). Zürich: Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte. ISBN 9783280017166.
- Labhart, Toni P. (2002). Steinführer Bundeshaus Bern [Steinführer federal building Bern] (in German). Bern: Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte. ISBN 9783857827198.
- Müller, Andreas (2002). Der verbitterte Bundeshausarchitekt: die vertrackte Geschichte des Parlamentsgebäudes und seines Erbauers Hans Wilhelm Auer (1847-1906) [The embittered Bundeshaus architect: the complicated history of the parliament building and its builder Hans Wilhelm Auer (1847-1906)] (in German). Bern: Orell Füssli. ISBN 9783280028223.
- Bilfinger, Monica (2009). Das Bundeshaus in Bern [The Federal Palace in Bern] (in German). Vol. Schweizerische Kunstführer, Band 859/860, Serie 86. Bern: Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte. ISBN 9783857828591.
- Weissberg, Bernhard; Rieben, Edouard (2012). Das Bundeshaus [The Bundeshaus] (in German). Faro. ISBN 9783037810385.
- Minta, Anna; Bernd, Nicolai (2014). Parlamentarische Repräsentationen: das Bundeshaus in Bern im Kontext internationaler Parlamentsbauten und nationaler Strategien [Parliamentary representations: the Federal Palace in Bern in the context of international parliament buildings and national strategies] (in German). Peter Lang. ISBN 9783034315029.
- Rüedi, Martin (2018). Das Parlamentsgebäude von Bern (1894-1902): Genese eines Nationaldenkmals [The parliament building in Bern (1894-1902): Genesis of a National Monument] (in German). Freie Universität Berlin.
- Furrer, Bernhard (15 May 2009). "Ein Ganzes aus Alt und Neu" [A whole of old and new]. Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (in German). TEC21 - Fachzeitschrift für Architektur, Ingenieurwesen und Umwelt.
- Tschachtli, Angelica (2014). "Ein Parlamentsbau muss auch Widersprüchlichkeiten vereinen". Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte GSK. pp. 36–40.
- Bilfinger, Monica (2017). "Das schweizerische Parlaments gebäude - von Kunsthandwerk und zeitgenössischem Design" [The Swiss Parliament building - of craftsmanship and contemporary design] (PDF). Péristyle (in German). Société d’histoire de l’art en Suisse GSK-SHAS-SSAS.
External links
Bundeshaus Bern
(Federal Palace of Switzerland).
- Official website
- Federal Palace in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.