The Bundesplatz (literally: the "Federal Square") is the Government Plaza in
Bern
Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...
, the ''de facto'' capital city of Switzerland. It is situated in the
Old City of Bern
The Old City () is the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. Built on a narrow hill bordered on three sides by the river Aare, its compact layout has remained essentially unchanged since its construction during the twelfth to the fifteenth ...
, the medieval city center of Bern. It is part of the
Innere Neustadt which was built during the
second expansion in 1255 to 1260, though the plaza was not built until much later. It is located in front of the ''
Bundeshaus'', the Swiss Parliament Building, and it is part of the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
Cultural
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
that encompasses the Old City.
History
The western third of the modern Bundesplatz was originally part of the ditch around the second city wall. In 1765, a plaza was built in the area between the ''Ballenhaus'' and the ''Holzwerkhof''.
''Ballenhaus'' was demolished in 1820 to make way for the Casino and was located on the site of the modern east wing of the Parliament at Bundesplatz 15. The ''Holzwerkhof'' was demolished to make way for the Bundeshaus West and was located at Bundesgasse 1.
Weber - Holzwerkhof
The new plaza construction was overseen by Niklaus Hebler, who planted Linden trees on the plaza and fenced in the southern side with a balustrade
A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...
which overlooked the lower city and Aare
The Aare () or Aar () is the main tributary of the High Rhine (its discharge even exceeds that of the latter at their confluence) and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland.
Its total length from its source to i ...
river. Between 1894 and 1900, the new ''Bundeshaus'' was built, and a number of buildings were demolished which increased the size of the plaza. Until 1909, it was known as ''Parlamentplatz''.
For almost a century, the plaza served as a parking lot. Following a national competition in 1991 to decide the future of the plaza, the winning proposal ''Platz als Platz'' designed by Stephan Mundwiler, AIA (the founding principal, Lee + Mundwiler Architects, based in Basel and Los Angeles) and Stauffenegger+Stutz, visual design in Basel, Switzerland, began in 2002. The project was finished on 31 July 2004 and officially unveiled on 1 August 2004 during the Swiss National Day
Swiss National Day (; ; ; ) is the national holiday of Switzerland, set on 1 August. Although the founding of the Swiss Confederacy was first celebrated on this date in 1891 and annually since 1899, it has only been an official holiday since ...
celebration.
The ''Platz als Platz'' project was recognized in 2006 with the Honor Award for Urban Design by the American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...
, initiated by the designer, Stephan Mundwiler, Swiss-American architect.
Photos
File:Bundesplatz Bern.jpg, The Bundesplatz, looking north
File:Stop Kriegsmaterial-Exporte GSoA, Einreichung Initiative.jpg, A demonstration, in front of the Federal Palace of Switzerland
The Federal Palace is a building in Bern housing the Swiss Federal Assembly of Switzerland, Federal Assembly (legislature) and the Swiss Federal Council, Federal Council (executive). It is the seat of the government of Switzerland and parliame ...
, in support of the federal popular initiative
The federal popular initiative (German: ''Eidgenössische Volksinitiative'', French: ''Initiative populaire fédérale'', Italian: ''Iniziativa popolare federale'', Romansh: ''Iniziativa federala dal pievel''), is a Swiss civic right enabling 10 ...
"for a ban on the export of military equipment", in 2007
File:Bundesplatz Kinderspiel.jpg, Fountain
File:Zibelemärit bern ch bundeshaus.jpg, Market
References
External links
*
Bundesplatz website
* http://www.aialaarchive.org/about/archives/member_news/nationalawardwinners.html
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bundesplatz
Squares in Bern
Old City (Bern)