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Historic corner building in Bern’s old town

Hotel Metropole, Bern

Burckhardt carefully redeveloped the historic corner building in cooperation with the heritage conservation authorities. The property on Waisenhausplatz in Bern’s historic center was constructed in 1878 and is adjoined to a neighboring building from the 1970s. Bern’s listed old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. Bern’s listed old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.

Client

PSP Swiss Property

Period of time

2019–2022

Task

Architecture, general planning

Photos

Damian Poffet, Susanne Goldschmid

Historical photograph

Burgerbibliothek Bern, Hans-Ulrich Suter Collection 712

Typology

Tourism & Hospitality, Transformation & Renovation

Office

Bern, Schweiz

Project specifics

History in 3D

The historic building was meticulously measured and recreated as a digital 3D model to provide a basis for project planning. This enabled the work on the sensitive building structure to be carried out with great precision.

Significant restoration work

The entire interior fit-out of the 19th century building was carried out in close cooperation with the heritage conservation authorities. This ensured that features such as the wall paneling and old door frames in the rooms were preserved. The historic staircase was significantly enhanced through careful restoration work and extended to the exclusive roof terrace for hotel guests.

The renovation in Bern’s old town makes an important contribution to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.


Markus Mathys, Projektleiter und Mitglied der Standortleitung Bern

Prior to the redevelopment, the property had housed a hotel, a restaurant and sales and office spaces. The project paved the way for the launch of a hotel concept new to the city of Bern, as well as for an expanded restaurant usage, and today makes a valuable contribution to preserving the city’s historic architectural landscape. The building’s exterior appearance was also treated with great care and its once distinctive design features, such as the oculi lucarnes, were restored.

Project plans

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