Facts on the extension of the National Museum Zurich

Panoramic view of the National Museum from the banks of the Sihl, with the big bridge

The planned extension, designed by the architects Christ & Gantenbein, complements the museum buildings constructed by Gustav Gull, allowing visitors to follow a circular route through the old and new building. The key feature of the new building is the bridge, which creates a spatial and optical relationship between the park and the museum.
The plans for the annexe, as part of the 2002 competition project, have been revised after discussions with opponents and individuals with expert knowledge: The total usable area of the new construction was reduced by one third, the integral preservation of the old building, including the applied arts wing, is guaranteed, and a line of sight and a spatial link between the Platzspitz park and the museum courtyard is opened up.

The extension of the National Museum in the park …

provides the necessary space for flexible rooms for temporary exhibitions, an auditorium and a study centre for cooperation with schools and colleges, as well as a catering infrastructure for a museum restaurant.

is supported, with a substantial majority, by the parliaments of the Federal Council, the Canton and the City.

is not contested either by the Federal Commission for Historic Monuments and Site Preservation or by the Nature and Heritage Commission of the Canton of Zurich, nor by the Historic Monuments Commission of the Canton of Zurich. The Swiss Heritage Society is not opposed to it either.

takes up 1,300 m2 of the total park area, which covers 36,400 m2.

had already been planned by Gustav Gull, and the park declared as a reserved area for the National Museum.

will endeavour to build to Minergie-P standard.

Funding:

The cost of the extension of the Zurich National Museum is calculated at CHF 111 million. Of this, CHF 5 million will come from private sources. The majority of the funding required will be contributed by the Swiss Confederation:

Federal government
76 Million:		The application for funding from the Federal authorities was approved in 2008. The Federal authorities accepted the civil building programme as the awarding authority.
Canton of Zurich
20 million:		(in German) Der Finanzantrag auf kantonaler Ebene wurde 2009 vom Kantonsrat mit einer grossen Mehrheit verabschiedet - der Beitrag sollte aus dem Lotteriefonds finanziert werden. In Folge einer Stimmrechtsbeschwerde hatte der Kantonsrat am 19. April 2010 erneut zu beschliessen. Auch in dieser Abstimmung sprach sich der Kantonsrat mit wiederum überwältigender Mehrheit (und sogar noch weniger Gegenstimmen als bei der ersten Abstimmung) für den finanziellen Beitrag aus.
City of Zurich
10 million:		3.25 million surrender of land and 6.75 million site-related contribution. The contribution from the City of Zurich was approved by a large majority in the municipal council in 2009. The opponents of the draft bill have collected signatures for a referendum against the municipal council’s decision. In the city of Zurich the vote was taken on June 13th 2010. The project has been adopted with 54,2% of the votes.
		Panoramic view of the National Museum from the banks of the Sihl, with the big bridge. © CHRIST & GANTENBEIN Architekten Spitalstrasse 12 CH - 4056 Basel T + 41 61 260 90 20 F + 41 61 260 90 30 Download ZIP-File (1.88MB)
		View from the railway station to the Museum, with the new entrance. © CHRIST & GANTENBEIN Architekten Spitalstrasse 12 CH - 4056 Basel T + 41 61 260 90 20 F + 41 61 260 90 30 Download ZIP-File (2.22MB)
		Landschaftsplan © Vogt Landschaftsarchitekten Download PDF-File (1.72MB)
		Plan Landabtretung Stadt Zürich. © CHRIST & GANTENBEIN Architekten Download ZIP-File (874.74KB)