Filigree folding sliding elements as a transition between old and new

Situated between Bern’s old town and the “Kleine Schanze” park, the pavilion which was built in 1945 has been a popular meeting place for Bern residents for decades. Originally opened as a drinking establishment, the building has been used for culinary offerings for decades and provides up to 180 seats in seasonal use.

A backlog of renovation work ultimately led to a comprehensive overhaul being required. The Bern-based architecture firm Kast Kaeppeli opted for a careful renovation in which later extensions were removed and the original design language of the pavilion was restored. Characteristic components from the 1940s such as supports, thresholds and the roof structure have been preserved, invoked or carefully reinterpreted – including in an additional pergola structure.

Seamless transitions between interior and exterior

At the heart of the architectural concept was opening the building to the park landscape. To create a flexible link between the interior and exterior spaces, the architects integrated filigree folding sliding elements with profile systems from Forster into the newly designed building shell. They enable a continuous opening of the facade that can be individually adapted to weather conditions or different seating scenarios. The extremely narrow face widths of the forster presto xs system enable large-surface, transparent external closures. Made of 100% steel, the robust construction of the profile system also ensures the moving elements are highly stable and have a long service life.

Slim profiles for maximum transparency

With face widths from 23 mm, the sliding elements with forster presto xs ensure the maximum transmission of light and a bright, friendly atmosphere in the interior. The filigree profile dimensions also emphasise the restored, clear design language of the pavilion and allow direct lines of sight between the café and its surroundings. Thanks to the versatile range of applications of forster presto xs, the uninsulated systems are also used in the building shell. Particularly in sensitive refurbishment projects such as this, the narrow profile designs are the ideal mediator between the historic fabric of the building and the requirements placed on modern, technical solutions.

Bern, Svizzera

Products:

Folding sliding elements in forster presto xs

Fixed glazing (with and without bottom-hung leaf) in forster presto xs

Architecture: Kast Kaeppeli Architekten GmbH, Bern, Switzerland

Metal construction: Metall-Design AG, Frauenkappelen, Switzerland

Client: Immobilien Stadt Bern (ISB)

Photography: Rolf Siegenthaler