Max Bill’s Pavilion. A Concrete Art Landmark in the Heart of Zurich
- SITE_SPECIFIC
- Apr 26
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 30
At the corner of Bahnhofstrasse and Pelikanstrasse, not far from Paradeplatz, there’s an unexpected place of calm. The Pavilion Sculpture stands amid Zurich’s bustling banking district and noisy luxury shopping mile—a loudly quiet public artwork by Swiss artist, architect, and graphic designer Max Bill. Created in 1983, it remains one of the most iconic public sculptures in Zurich—loved and frequently photographed by tourists, as well as gladly inhabited by locals on their lunch breaks.
Each time I pass by, no matter how busy it is around, something in me slows down. I feel its presence—both calm and commanding, inwardly directed and inviting. This walk-in sculpture is made of 63 granite blocks, each precisely 42 x 42 x 210 cm. Arranged into pillars, arches, and plinths, the structure shifts as you move around it—never quite the same twice. The grey granite, with its reflective and cool surfaces, seems to absorb the city’s noise, offering space to observe and wonder.
It’s a work of Concrete Art, a movement Bill pioneered as part of the Zurich School of Concrete Artists, alongside Richard Paul Lohse, Camille Graeser, and Verena Loewensberg. His studies at the Bauhaus in Dessau influenced his artistic language—rooted in clarity, simplicity, and geometric precision. But this sculpture isn’t just about form. Bill believed art could make the complex ideas of New Physics—concepts like time, space, and structure—felt. He aimed to translate scientific theory into sensory experience, creating what he called “objects for spiritual use.” With this sculpture, you don’t just see—you feel.
For me, it’s more than a piece of public art. It’s a historical landmark. It’s an insightful, recurring conversation about shape and its power to influence space. A grounding pause. A reminder that even in the most pragmatic, transactional, and fast-paced environments, there is space for art—a need for art—art whose powerful presence can’t be ignored.
Text by Tetiana Kartasheva
