Think Architecture . photos: © Simone Bossi
The listed Art Nouveau building from 1835 was extensively renovated and expanded with a pavilion-like annex along the Aare River. Various alterations at the end of the last century obscured the quality of the historically valuable “Falken”. For example, the atrium as well as the ground floor were largely destroyed and – on the side of the Aare – the historic substance was extended without care.
These mistakes had to be corrected and the still existing qualities had to be emphasized again. We didn’t design our new interventions in a historicizing way, but in a contemporary way, yet with due respect for the existing structure. The atrium, which can be experienced again after the reconstruction, becomes the central element of the new Falken, which connects the various uses in an attractive way.
On the ground floor are the representative rooms of a bank, which are supplemented with a boutique and on the Aare side with a café. Offices and attractive old town apartments were organized on the upper floors. The new annex building along the historic city wall of Thun was made of prefabricated concrete elements. The elements span from the city wall to the wall of the river bank and take over the rhythm of the main building.
The statics become visible and structure the space inside and outside. Characteristic elements such as the existing segmental arches of the atrium were taken up and – modern interpreted- find their application in various ways in the new “Falken”.
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Café Falken
On the ground floor, the “Cafe Falken” was created with a bar, salon, seminar rooms and a small outdoor terrace. You can feel the history of the time when you walk through the old city wall between the bar and the salon.
The old city wall also subtly divides the café into two room atmospheres. The historic part of the “Cafe Falken” is dominated by exposed stone, the vaulted ceiling of the former cellar and a few purposeful fixtures in darkened oak and burnished brass. The atmosphere in the bar is dimmed, almost contemplative, and you can literally feel the massive walls of the historic building.
The pavilion-like extension has a more minimalist approach and is given a clear structure in the form of prefabricated concrete elements. The elements span from the old city wall to the wall of the riverbank and take over the rhythm of the main building. The statics become visible and divide the space both inside and out. Generous windows between the concrete columns provide a direct link to the close-by Aare River and allow plenty of daylight to flow into the space.
The reduced, bright basic atmosphere of concrete and fine lime plaster is complemented by fixtures made of oak, terrazzo, green velvet and light installations in blackened steel. Reinterpretations of forms and materials create a subtle reference to the historical building substance and in this way combine new and old into a harmonious ensemble.
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