ARCHITECTURAL INTENTIONALITY
Johanna Bernhard
Through a ledge which appears as a steep cliff-like projection, you enter the courtyard of the Swiss National Museum. From the tranquillity of the park, visitors step into a reverberating chamber where every sound is amplified. Children run through the water, their echoes bouncing off the plain, cold walls. The atmosphere, though less warm, exudes a calming atmosphere and evoking a sense of being within a cave.
The light is crisp, shadows are particularly distinct on this day. The perfectly round water basin is cut into halves by the shadow. Reflected sunlight on the water creates a painting on the wall resembling a Fibonacci spiral. This projection is in constant movement, stirred by the wind or children running excited through the shallow lake. During the summer, the ledge serves as a refuge, inviting to linger in its cool, airy shadow. In contrast, winter brings a gusty wind whistling through the gap/crevice, transforming the place into a passage.