Peter Zumthor, the 83-year-old Swiss architect, has completed a new gallery extension for the Beyeler Foundation in Basel. The £110 million project is his first building in his home city.
The structure uses rammed concrete layered and hammered into shape, giving it a monolithic appearance that appears chiseled from the earth. Large oak and bronze doors feature leather-wrapped handles and close with what the source describes as a "satisfyingly expensive Swiss swoosh".
Zumthor attributes his design philosophy to lessons learned as a teenage apprentice in his father's cabinet-making workshop in the 1960s. He recalled his father instilling in him "the Basel pride in the well-built object", demonstrated by his first project: a cupboard designed so precisely its door closed with "a special sucking sound".
The Beyeler Foundation houses one of the world's major art collections, featuring works by Monet, Miro and Picasso. The new extension raises questions about whether it complements this collection appropriately or risks resembling a luxury boutique. Zumthor has commented on the challenge of avoiding designs that are "too slick" and risk appearing like a fashion magazine.
The project represents Zumthor's return to Basel after a career spanning six decades with globally celebrated commissions. His latest work demonstrates his continued focus on precision craftsmanship and material quality that shaped his early training.