THE MUSEUM'S OUTWARD APPEARANCE

is shaped largely by its architecture. Its severe functionalism constitutes both a commitment and a challenge to the staging of exhibitions. In 1933 the museum and school, previously accommodated in a side wing of the nearby Landesmuseum, moved into a new building. Its planning had caused much controversy. Today its functional and aesthetic quality is undisputed, and it is regarded as one of the most striking examples of modern architecture in Switzerland.

The Zurich architects Adolf Steger (1888-1939) and Karl Egender (1897-1969) designed the building as a manifesto: it was not to be a backward-looking academy but a building that would function equally well as a school, a laboratory and a modern museum. Three flat-roofed sections of generous proportions join to form an L-shaped building. They are defined by their use: the long college area looking out on the bank of the Sihl stands at a right angle to the adjoining museum area, with its basilica hall of over 1000 sq m and a gallery floor above. The prominent entrance is perhaps the clearest illustration of the architects; disinclination to accept conventional architectural forms. The lecture hall is situated above the glazed entrance hall on the facade facing the street, and despite its great volume its cuboid shape seems to float above the entrance.
(o) southern view / (b) large Exhibitionhall

NOW A PROTECTED MONUMENT

The building has retained its strictly functional nature ever since the 1930s. At issue today is the question of how to reconcile respect for the original plan with the demands of contemporary usage made on the building. In 1998 the final stage of a comprehensive renovation of the exterior was concluded.