10/12/2026
Salewski Nater Kretz, Redesign PROGR courtyard with pavilion, Bern, Switzerland 2026.
"The PROGR Courtyard is a significant open space in the upper Old Town of Bern. As a public space, it is accessible to everyone; at the same time, as an inner courtyard, it belongs to the cultural institution PROGR. Its openness and the protective architectural framework of the former Progymnasium define its unique character as an urban niche and a place for people to meet. For the tenants of the studio building, who work here, the courtyard is a place for interaction and breaks, work discussions, and reading—an interface between artistic work and city life. For the general public, on the other hand, the courtyard is a welcoming meeting place during lunch breaks or evening outings.
In the urban development context, it forms an important part of a larger vision supported by culture: with the unsealed Waisenhausplatz, the traffic-calmed Hodlerstrasse, the inviting new Kunstmuseum building and the redesigned PROGR courtyard, a versatile, coherent cluster of attractive urban outdoor spaces with a strong cultural presence is being created. As an important meeting place for Bern’s cultural scene, it owes its importance not least to the PROGR’s history, which is characterized by collective commitment. The social permeability is combined with an atmospheric permeability to the urban space – the noise of the street is just as present as the chirping of birds in the treetops and the convivial sound from the bars and restaurants opposite.
The redesign, which has become necessary from ecological, functional, and design perspectives, is intended tostrengthen the courtyard as a public space, a gathering place, and a hub for cultural creativity in the heart of the cityof Bern. To this end , five objectives are being pursued:
Making the PROGR studio house visible as a place of cultural production in public space
Promote the appropriation of the courtyard through dedicated cultural uses
Ensure the accessibility of urban open spaces for a broad and diverse public
Improving the habitat for people and plants in a warming climate
Strengthening gastronomy as an offer of the Kulturhaus
These goals are to be achieved with a few, but precise spatial concepts:
Open center: The center of the courtyard will be transformed into an open space with a high quality of stay and flexible possibilities for use. Large-scale unsealing of the ground supports the water cycle to the tree roots and contributes to a better climate in the urban space.
Active edge: The edge area along the courtyard-side façade becomes a lively threshold space between the PROGR and the courtyard and creates wheelchair-accessible access to the building.
A Radiant Hinge: A new pavilion with a sculptural roof at the intersection of the courtyard and Speichergasse serves as a visible hinge in the public space. Under this inviting structure, PROGR offers a sustainable dining experience.
The redesign of the PROGR courtyard is a holistically conceived project by the planning team of Salewski Nater Kretz (architecture & urban planning), Miriam Sturzenegger (visual arts), and bbz landscape architects (landscape architecture), and is based on PROGR’s long-standing engagement with its courtyard. It brings together art, architecture, historic preservation, open-space design, sociology, and culinary expertise.
A short film about the project was exhibited at the Benaki Museum in Athens (May/June 2023)."
https://salewski-nater-kretz.ch/portfolio/umgestaltung-progr-hof-mit-pavillon/
