Building Berne

The latest edition of the popular pocket guides from the magazine Hochparterre focuses on the federal capital: "Bern Builds" is an architectural guide to Bern and its neighboring municipalities - featuring architectural critiques, photos, and plans. The main section presents around 80 significant buildings that were constructed or are being built between 1990 and 2010. Each object is showcased on a double page with text, specially commissioned color photographs for this publication, as well as floor plans and sections. The texts include not only descriptions of the buildings and architectural critiques but also cultural and planning contexts. A box summarizes the key facts about each building: client, architects, construction method, construction costs, year of construction, and address. The buildings are organized by neighborhoods into chapters, creating practical routes for walks. Additionally, classics of the 20th century are briefly presented in text and image. The book concludes with a directory of all participating architects. An essay discusses Bern-specific aspects of contemporary architecture and outlines the most important historical lines. Other topics include current planning in development areas and the question: Is there a Bernese architecture?.