Report on the guided tour of the construction site for the renovation of the Langmatt Museum in Baden
On 18.09.2024, the ETH Alumni Local Group Baden met for a guided tour of the construction site of the art nouveau villa Langmatt in Baden.
The historic building, which was built at the beginning of the 20th century as a prestigious residence for the Sidney and Jenny Brown family, is currently the focus of a comprehensive renovation. The guided tour offered visitors an exciting insight into the current renovation project, which is of great importance both architecturally and historically.
Villa Langmatt is an extraordinary architectural jewel of Art Nouveau and at the same time an important part of Switzerland's industrial history. Sidney Brown, the technical director and later CEO of the BBC (now ABB), had the building constructed together with his wife Jenny.
However, the Browns left their mark not only on industry, but also on the history of art. Between 1908 and 1919, they built up an impressive collection of Impressionist works of art, at a time when Impressionism was still controversial and often misunderstood. With their courageous passion for collecting, the Browns set an example that few contemporaries in Switzerland and Europe were able to follow.
Villa Langmatt is being extensively renovated this year and next. The work is aimed at preserving the historic building while at the same time meeting the modern requirements of a museum. New surprises keep cropping up during the renovation, such as wallpaper that has reappeared or a hidden door with the key in it. As a result, the plans have to be adapted and supplemented again and again.
Another challenge is to preserve the historic substance of the villa while integrating modern infrastructure such as fire protection measures, an elevator, new technical installations and barrier-free access. The balance between monument protection, theft protection for the valuable collection and contemporary functionality is of central importance.
After the tour, we rounded off the evening with refreshments in the Casino Park.
