Bundesplatz (Bern)
The Bundesplatz ( French Place fédérale , Italian Piazza Federale , Romansh Plazza federala ) is the square in front of the Federal Palace in the federal city of Bern , Switzerland .
State receptions, political rallies and various events take place on the square, with the weekly market on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
A rectangle of 60 × 30 meters made of natural stone, based on the geometry of the Federal Palace, dominates the square. The 60 × 100 cm and 6 cm thick slabs made of Vals gneiss are laid mirror-symmetrically so that large-scale ornaments are created. A slightly curved strip of light that runs through the square creates an optical connection between Bärenplatz and the Bundeshaus. In the western part of the square there is a water feature made up of 26 water fountains, which symbolize the 26 cantons of the Swiss Confederation.
On the south side of the square is the parliament building (number 3), on the east side the main building of the Swiss National Bank (number 1), on the west side the main building of the Berner Kantonalbank (number 2). On the north side, the square borders on Bärenplatz with a restaurant and other bank buildings. The Bundesgasse , Kochergasse , Amthausgasse and Schauplatzgasse are connected to the four corners of the square .
history
The Bundesplatz was built around 1902 at the same time as the parliament building was built. For the construction of the building and the Bundesplatz, the architect Hans Wilhelm Auer had a casino and other houses torn down, which would have blocked the unobstructed view of the Federal Palace.
For years the square was mainly used as a parking lot, which did not do justice to the square's national importance. In 1991 a national design competition was carried out, the winning project by Christian Stauffenegger, Ruedi Stutz and Stephan Mundwiler "Platz als Platz" was realized from 2002 to 2004 and officially inaugurated on July 31 and August 1, 2004.
The "Platz als Platz" project received the Honor Award for Urban Design in 2006 from the American Institute of Architects .
Bundesplatz as seen from the dome
The Bundesplatz as a parking lot before the renovation in 2002/2004
The Bundesplatz as a market square, aerial photo by Walter Mittelholzer 1919
Howitzer department marching through the federal city (1914-18)
The sculpture Maman by Louise Bourgeois 2011
360-degree panorama (2007, Federal Palace under renovation)
Web links
Coordinates: 46 ° 56 '50 " N , 7 ° 26' 39" E ; CH1903: 600421 / 199 571