The architecture bucket list

Albert Einstein, Anna Seiler or Friedrich Dürrenmatt: they all strolled through Bern under the famous six-kilometre arcades, which cover almost the entire stretch from the main station to the Nydeggbrücke at the other end of the old town. There are much better chances of having a good hair day here, even in rainy, windy fall weather, thanks to clever medieval architects. Whether it’s distinguished luminaries, visitors from all over the world, or locals – Bern’s UNESCO-listed Old City captivates anyone who sees it. If you want to get to know its history and admire its most remarkable landmarks, this guided city tour is perfect for you.

Anyone interested in architecture should make the time to pay a visit to the Westside shopping and experience centre, the first shopping centre designed by world-famous architect Daniel Liebeskind. His vision was to create an urban marketplace, a space to live in. The mixed-use concept completely redefined shopping, entertainment and living. Clad in robinia wood, the complex connects with the landscape that opens to the west. Located above the A1 highway and on the regional train line and the Bernmobil public transport network, the Westside is a meeting point for the entire greater Bern area and a structurally striking gateway to the city.

At the House of Religions on Europaplatz, visitors can enjoy a meal at the Ayurvedic restaurant, listen to audio plays by teenagers explaining the bar mitzvah, or learn more about the Sikh people from display cases. It is not primarily the building stretching along the railroad line that fascinates, but the diversity of what’s inside: the dergâh, the church, the mosque, the temple and the Buddhist centre are connected by an open, neutral dialogue area – all eight world religions are brought together under one roof. The design of the church space, which brings the late Gothic sling ribbed vault (a Christian ornament) into modern times, was recognized by the Artheon art award. The other spaces are impressive, too, for example the dergâh with its nature-oriented design and clay plastering.

The beautiful area near the Villa Schöngrün and the Schlosshaldenfriedhof cemetery, where artist Paul Klee is buried, was predestined for this museum. The building was designed by Renzo Piano, Italian star architect and industrial designer. He began the project by studying the scenery: «There was also a hill, not a very high one, but a hill.» As soon as it became obvious that the focus was on the entirety of the location, it became more than a building. And it was clear to Piano that the artist had «a too broad, too large breath» for him to be exhibited in a small space: the extensive collection of the Paul Klee Foundation is at home in a wave-like architectural masterpiece.

Don’t we all dream of travelling to the moon, marvelling at faraway galaxies, seeing the different constellations up close? The Space Eye allows us to peek into the great unknown that is space. Gaze up into the starry sky from the historic observatory or through Switzerland’s largest public telescope in the new observatory, designed by Swiss star architect Mario Botta. Astronomy, space research and sustainability are the focal points on a visit to the Space Eye. The interactive exhibition, the guided sky observations and the adventure trail captivate space enthusiasts of all ages.

Electricity has become an integral part of our lives, whether to power computers and printers in the office, run tools and machines in a workshop, or keep us all cool in the warmer months and warm in the colder ones. In Bern, we get our energy from the Energiezentrale Forsthaus operated by Energie Wasser Bern (EWB). This power plant is a pioneer in Switzerland – take your team to Bern’s energy provider and find out why it is a milestone on the way to a sustainable energy supply and many other exciting facts on a guided tour.

The Kornhauskeller at 18 Kornhausplatz is Bern’s most magnificent vaulted cellar and, according to Trip Advisor, «one of the most beautiful bars in the world». The sheer dimensions of the location alone are impressive, and the central nave and two side aisles are reminiscent of church architecture and give the Kornhauskeller a sense of sacral grace. Whether you’re going for a single malt whiskey in the bar (it has 80 different varieties!) or an elegant dinner at the restaurant – an evening in the picturesque Kornhauskeller definitely deserves a spot on the bucket list of any architecture enthusiast.

They are visible from afar, the legendary apartment blocks from the 1960s and 1970s in the west of Bern. After the Second World War, Bern’s population grew rapidly and the urgent need for new housing arose. So, the city of Bern bought up estates and had large apartment complexes built. With foreigners making up about one third of the residents, the neighbourhood offered great cultural and ethnic diversity, especially from the 1990s onwards. Many of the characteristic apartment buildings have since fallen victim to gentrification – and yet, the unmistakable multicultural charm of this neighbourhood remains. You may well smell Indian curry on the first floor, Bosnian Ćevapčići on the fifth, and Portuguese pastéis de nata on the tenth!  If you want to experience this melting pot for yourself, book a stay in the flat in the Fellergut high-rise, which has been largely preserved in its original 1972 condition.