gibb - Hauptgebäude

A large, extremely clearly structured building that still looks modern today, with a set of plans signed by the well-known Bernese architect Hans Brechbühler. However, the concept and design may not have come from Brechbühler himself, but from his young colleague Max Jenni, who was later also in charge of construction management within the firm. The project was the result of an architectural competition held in 1935, in which eighty architects took part. Together with the SUVA building, the trade school is now one of the iconic pioneering buildings of New Objectivity in Bern.

Five-storey elongated rectangular building on pilotis. The main structure is characterised by a strict orthogonal façade grid and is framed by two cubic side buildings that house the stairwells. On the flat roof, which serves as a terrace, there is a drawing room that appears as a sculptural structure. Reinforced concrete construction. The ground floor was originally almost completely open, but a cafeteria was added in 1977, also by Hans Brechbühler. Inside, the functional and clear floor plan is impressive: Access to the classrooms is via a spacious central corridor designed as a 'rue intérieure', while the staircases are located in the cubic side buildings. The teaching workshops (No. 1A), which are designed as steel and glass buildings with parallel tent roofs, are located below the school building on a plateau. On the north-east side, a green area with trees separates the school grounds from Lorrainestrasse. The embankment to the south-west, at the bridgehead of the Lorraine Bridge built in 1930 (now used as a car park), was built against the architect's wishes. Due to its exposed location, the trade school has a great long-distance effect and thus forms the visual prelude to the Lorraine neighbourhood. The inclined position, which was adopted from the previous building (a flag factory), creates an impressive spatial effect.