Municipal theater

Completed in 1903, the theater building on Kornhausplatz was in urgent need of refurbishment approximately 30 years after its last major renovation. The project aimed to ensure operational reliability and workplace safety, address essential maintenance requirements, enhance the quality and appeal of public-facing spaces, and improve their functionality. The overall renovation was organized into three project areas: front-of-house facilities, stage technology, and backstage operations.

IB was responsible for the architectural design and delivery of the backstage renovation, encompassing both the Schütte wing and the rear stage building. The work was developed and executed under a design-to-cost approach with a fixed budget ceiling. Beginning in 2014, IB also assumed overall responsibility for project management, including construction oversight, procurement and tendering, as well as cost and schedule control for all project components, with the exception of specifically defined stage technology packages. Construction was implemented in carefully coordinated phases between 2014 and 2018 to accommodate uninterrupted theater operations.

Located in the historic center of Bern, the building complex occupies an architecturally and historically sensitive urban setting. Its intricate, highly interconnected layout presented significant logistical challenges throughout planning and construction. Because performances and rehearsals continued throughout the entire construction period, close coordination with users, operators, and project stakeholders was a critical component of the overall project management mandate.