Krönlihalle Bar
The bar of the Kronenhalle in Zurich is one of the best known restaurants in Switzerland. Its legendary reputation is essentially owing to its interior, designed by Robert Haussmann in 1965. The Krönlihalle Bar was created as a temporary replica of this original, on a scale of 0.85 to 1, in a former lorry garage in Zurich West. The project was designed as a walk-in sculpture, a space within a space and at the same time as a functioning bar. It was intended to be both a tribute to the original designer, and at the same time a whimsical trompe-l’œil – this in view of the fact that the Krönlihalle Bar was everything that its predecessor is not, being cheap, trashy and temporary. The replica was realised with cheap materials, which could be recycled when it was dismantled. At its heart the project was a game involving perception through diminution, the use of “wrong” materials and many small changes, in some cases deliberately concealed.
Comments of the nominators
An altogether charming and intelligent project, where more is meant than meets the eye. It can be understood as a playful tribute to a special place and its legendary designer. In this temporary spatial installation, everything was done properly – from the idea to the planning and realisation, from the operational phase to the documentation.
Comments of the jury
Zurich’s Kronenhalle Bar is a style icon with a reputation extending beyond Switzerland. At the same time it is an exclusive locality. The Krönlihalle Bar spatial installation was a humorous tribute which made this exceptional place accessible to the general public. In view of the discrepancy of scale and the use of deliberately cheap materials, the temporary replication of the legendary interior niggled at the viewer in a way that was both refreshing and exhilarating. The project as a whole testifies to a deep respect for the original, while still preserving a certain inner distance. The jury sees it as an outstanding example of intelligent design communication that does not lose its playfulness or its sense of humour.
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