European Heritage Days: architecture and history at the Library Am Guisanplatz (BiG)

The neo-Renaissance building at Papiermühlestrasse 21A was built in 1893 to serve as the federal arsenal’s clothing depot and washhouse. This building is of great architectural significance, and has been a landmark in the Breitenrain neighbourhood from its beginnings.
In 2004/05, the building was comprehensively renovated by the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics (FOBL), and today houses the Library Am Guisanplatz (BiG) – the information centre of the Federal Administration and the Swiss Armed Forces. This repurposing saw a listed armoury successfully metamorphose into a modern library.

Free guided tours with experts

For the European Heritage Days on 14 and 15 September 2019, the FOBL and the BiG will together bring the architecture and eventful history of this listed building closer to the public.
The architect responsible for the renovation will be giving several tours over the course of the weekend, and will be telling visitors all about the building and its architectural transformation. Historians will also be present to give insights into particularly valuable and rarely shown gems from the library's special collections.

When: Saturday, 14 September 2019 and Sunday, 15 September at 10am, 11am, 2pm and 3pm (duration: approximately 45 minutes)
Registration: free admission. Limited number of guests per guided tour (20 people max.)
Register by email at bibliothek@gs-vbs.admin.ch.
Registrations will be considered in the order in which they are received and will not be confirmed. You will be notified if a guided tour is fully booked.

You can find the complete programme of the Heritage Days here at the site of the Nationale Informationsstelle zum Kulturerbe NIKE.