The architect and art patron Bruno Giacometti, brother of Alberto, Diego and Ottilia Giacometti, won the competition to build the Swiss Pavilion for the Venice Biennale in 1951. The builing, which was completed in 1952, still exists today with few changes. The painting room was fitted with a textile ceiling to create a soft skylight. This ceiling remained in place until 1982. The 20 chairs designed by Giacometti have probably disappeared before then.
Bruno Giacometti designed several chairs especially for his buildings. Although they were technically suitable for mass production, the architect was not interested in patenting or marketing them. The chairs were probably made by the company Kim Stahlmöbel in Zurich, where Giacometti also had made the chairs for the “Reisebüro der Schweizerischen Verkehrszentrale” in Paris. Unfortunately, during Hemauer/Keller’s research, no plans of the armchairs could be found either at Kim Stahlmöbel or in any other archive. It is likely that the plans and drawings have been destroyed.
Bruno Giacometti’s architecture of the pavilion is an example of moderate post-war modernism and symbolises Switzerland’s self-image at the time as a democratic country committed to the community. The Link to the green space emphasizes a connection between art and nature.