EM2N Architekten AG

Description

The extension of Thun’s civic auditorium to create a Culture and Congress Centre confronted us with two major chal-lenges. The first was coping with the restrictive framework conditions for the project, and the second, the question of how to deal architecturally with the existing building fabric from the 1980s. The planning scope was massively restricted by the narrow site – set in a residential area with heterogeneous building typologies interspersed with large-scale public uses – as well as by the scarce financial resources. The intention, however, was for the extension to consolidate the existing ensemble and strengthen its public character. Through the strategic use of the available funds, we were able to keep the structural interventions in the building fabric to a minimum and leave the civic auditorium with its fixed seating virtually “unscathed” structurally. Instead, we placed a new, multipurpose hall at its side. The new and former foyers adjoin to create an animated constellation of spaces. Targeted openings place them in relation to their heterogeneous environment.