The Vitra Campus

The Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein near Basel is a unique ensemble of contemporary architecture. Design enthusiasts and connoisseurs of architecture are invited to take a tour of the Campus and discover 21 buildings by some of the world’s most renowned architects.

To view the current exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum, to visit the Lounge Chair Atelier and observe the handcrafted fabrication of this classic design by Charles and Ray Eames, and to find inspirational ideas for their own home at the VitraHaus, Vitra’s flagship store.

A mix between the commercial and cultural aspects of the Swiss furniture manufacturer Vitra, which was founded by Willi Fehlbaum as a shopfitting business in 1934. Production was relocated from Birsfelden (Switzerland) to Weil am Rhein (Germany) in 1950. After a major fire destroyed a large part of the manufacturing facilities in 1981, the second-generation owners of the family-run company embraced the opportunity to rebuild the premises in collaboration with leading architects.

The factory zone

Factory Buildings

Completion: 1981/1983

Architect: Nicholas Grimshaw (*1939)

Factory Building

Completion: 1994

Architect: Álvaro Siza (*1933)

Logistics and production Hall

Completion: 2012

Architects: SANAA (Kazuyo Sejima *1956, Ryue Nishizawa *1966)

Museums

Museum part Vitra Design Museum, Factory Building, Gate, Gallery

Completion: 1989

Architect: Frank Gehry (*1929)

Fire Station

Completion: 1993

Architect: Zaha Hadid (1950–2016)

Vitra Schaudepot

Completion: 2016

Architects: Herzog & de Meuron (Jacques Herzog *1950, Pierre de Meuron *1950)

Other buildings

Installations Balancing Tools

Completion: 1984

Artists: Claes Oldenburg (*1929), Coosje van Bruggen (1942–2009)

Conference Pavilion

Completion: 1993

Architect: Tadao Ando (*1941)

Dome

Design: c. 1975, installation in Weil: 2000 After Richard Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983)

Petrol Station

Design: 1953, installation in Weil: 2003

Architect: Jean Prouvé (1901–1984)

Bus Stop

Completion: 2006

Architect: Jasper Morrison (*1959)

VitraHaus

Completion: 2010

Architects: Herzog & de Meuron (Jacques Herzog *1950, Pierre de Meuron *1950)

Diogene

Completion: 2013

Architect: Renzo Piano (*1937)

Vitra Slide Tower

Completion: 2014

Artist: Carsten Höller (*1961)

Álvaro-Siza-Promenade

Completion: 2014

Architect: Álvaro Siza (*1933)

Bell, from: 24 Stops

Completion: 2015

Artist: Tobias Rehberger (*1966)

During the Art Basel week, in occasion of Vitra Summer Party, two new installation have been inaugurated at campus: Ring and Ruisseau of Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Ring is a circular platform made of galvanised steel, which appears to float above the ground, Ruisseau is a narrow channel carved in a marble base, filled with running water. And the Blockhaus, a small structure by the German artist Thomas Schütte.

Here below the exhibitions in how at the campus:

Ron Arad: Yes to the Uncommon! Until 14 October 2018 at the Vitra Schaudepot. This exhibition gives an overview of his diverse oeuvre. This presentation at the Vitra Schaudepot includes numerous early designs from the 1980s, whose raw energy established Arad’s international reputation as a rising star.

Night Fever. Designing Club Culture 1960 – Today. Exploring the emergence of nightclubs as spaces for experimentation with interior design, new media, and alternative lifestyles.

From August 18th at Vitra Design Gallery, Christien Meindertsma: Beyond the Surface

From Campus Vitra it is possible arrive at Fondazione Beyerler by Rehberger-Weg, a 5 km walk of the German artist Tobias Rehberges.