Casino Bern
Casino Bern on Casinoplatz 1 is a concert and assembly hall, built in 1906–1908 by Paul Lindt and Max Hofmann and opened in 1909.
- Address
- Casinoplatz 1
- Built
- 1906–1908, opened 1909; renovated 2017–2019
- Architect
- Paul Lindt and Max Hofmann
- Style
- Late baroque Neoclassicism
- Today
- Concert and assembly hall of the Burgergemeinde Bern, home of the Bern Symphony Orchestra
- Protection
- cultural property of national significance (KGS A), worthy of protection (Bauinventar)
About the building
On Casinoplatz stands a broad Neoclassical building with a prominent hipped roof. Above the entrance, in large letters, is the inscription "Casino Bern", which is itself now protected as a monument. The house has nothing to do with gambling: it is a concert and assembly hall.
Its background is linked to the Federal Palace. Bern's first Casino stood where the parliament building stands today and had to make way around 1890. The site of the former Franciscan friary, later occupied by the academy, offered itself as a new building plot; it belonged to the canton and had become free when the university moved to the Länggasse district. The city could not afford the building. In 1902 the Burgergemeinde of Bern offered its help, and in 1903 the canton, the municipality and the Burgerrat signed a contract in which the Burgergemeinde undertook to build and finance the Casino.
The architects Paul Lindt and Max Hofmann built it from 1906 to 1908 in a late baroque Neoclassical style. In 1909 the house was opened with festivities. From the start there was a restaurant alongside the halls for concerts and celebrations. Depending on the seating, the Great Hall holds up to about 1200 people and is the home of the Bern Symphony Orchestra, which plays most of its concerts here.
Around the turn of the millennium the house was temporarily called "Kultur Casino Bern" to avoid confusion with the gambling casino; in 2017 the Burgergemeinde returned to the old name. From 2017 to September 2019 the Casino was closed and comprehensively renovated. Since then the Burgergemeinde, which owns the building, has run the house itself, combining dining with culture. The Casino is a cultural property of national importance, and Casinoplatz is named after it.
A detail to look for: the lettering "Casino Bern" above the entrance, which outlasted the dispute over the name around the year 2000.
Researched and summarised by Bärn Kit. Sources: Wikipedia (de): Casino Bern · Casino Bern: Über uns · Wikipedia (de): Bundeshaus (Bern) · Wikidata: Q1791644
Buildings nearby
Wattenwylhaus at Herrengasse 2360 mUpper May House (Oberes Mayhaus)80 mHôtel de Musique100 mHauptwache (main guardhouse)100 mKirchberger House110 mBearArtwork · 60 mGerberngraben Fountain, or Casinoplatz and surroundings before the redevelopmentArtwork · 60 mSaint ChristopherArtwork · 70 mMore sights in Bern
ZytgloggeOld town and landmarksBern MinsterOld town and landmarksFederal Palace (Bundeshaus)Old town and landmarksKäfigturmOld town and landmarksErlacherhofOld town and landmarksFormer Kornhaus (Granary)Old town and landmarksClassification and address: Bauinventar © Amt für Kultur des Kantons Bern · Object sheet (PDF, German) · Wikidata. Found a mistake? Write to hallo@uebrig.ch.