Kirchner Museum

Created to house the art of the German expressionist painter Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, the museum’s 4 double-height volumes connected by a lower volume, blend into the snow-caped, mountainous landscape of Davos, with a varying opaque, translucent and clear glass cladding. Natural light enters through a translucent ceiling into a plenum space above the galleries. Photo-electronic sensors detect too much daylight and shades are used to block off the light. When there is too little light artificial illumination is directed to bounce off of the opaque ceiling of the plenum and indirectly and atmospherically into the galleries. Between the 4 exhibition volumes is the darker circulation space that punctually opens up framed views of the landscape. It is the first major commission of Zurich architects Annette Gigon & Mike Guyer. The sleek, nevertheless highly functional construction of glass, concrete, steel and wood is neighbored by 2 other of their designs: the Sportscentre and wooden Werkhof.