Municipal Theatre

Saint Gallen Municipal Theatre can be found in the Stadtpark, the cultural heart of the city, adjacent to the museums of fine art and natural history. Attributed to Claude Paillard of Cramer-Jaray-Paillard, it is an example of brutalism, the architectural movement popular in the 1960s and early 70s. This style of building uses lots of exposed concrete, both inside and out. Here in Switzerland, and in neighbouring Germany, it was often accompanied by lots of dense evergreen planting, which softens the harshness of the concrete. This contrasting treatment complements the architecture and increases as the planting matures, making it more palatable with the public. Outwardly the theatre has similarities with the work of Gottfried Bohm, in particular the Pilgrimage Church at Niviges, and the Bensberg Town Hall, both designed and built around the same time. Internally, the planning is based upon the hexagon, the handling of which is reminiscent of some of Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian houses.