christ & gantenbein

swiss national museum extension

the film about the extension to the swiss national museum by christ & gantenbein from basel was made in close collaboration with the portuguese sound designer and music producer gil amado. it is one of the first films to combine the qualities of minimalist music with the contemplative soundscapes of the first films and to illustrate visual aspects of the film by means of instruments.

the impression of the extension of the swiss national museum is reminiscent of the filigree original sculpture of a bird. already at the beginning of filming, a flock of birds appeared to the film team, interacting with the building in a playful way and including it in its permanent choreography. this interaction between the architecture and the flock of birds inspired both the editing of the film and the subsequent soundscapes. the beating of the birds' wings, for example, was translated in the sound design by means of instruments. the flock of birds added another level to the function of the museum architecture and used it as a stage. this image of the stage was taken up and runs through the entire film. in the end, three chapters were created in the film that build on each other and yet remain independent in their appearance.

architect: christ & gantenbein
music & sound design: gil amado