Bern’s Parliament Square, a space for the people

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The newly-designed Parliament Square was unveiled on August 1, 2004. Keystone

State visit of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1954. RDB

Before 2004, Parliament Square served the more prosaic function of a car park. Keystone

Farmers demonstrating in 1961 against the government's milk pricing policy. RDB

Aftermath of a farmers' demonstration in 1996. Keystone

The fountains symbolise the 26 cantons of Switzerland. Reuters

'Tanz Dich Frei' (Dance Yourself Free) was the motto of an annual dance event and demonstration held for the third time on May 25, 2013 and broken up by riot police. Keystone

Thousands of Dutch fans watched the Holland-Italy match in the public viewing zone set up in the square for the 2008 European Football Championships. Keystone

A lone supporter of the initative to abolish military service in January 2012. Keystone

An unidentified cross country skier competes in the 1.5km sprint World Cup race on artificial snow in December 2004. Reuters

Before the milk price debate in parliament on December 3, 2009. Keystone

Bras hang in Parliament Square to draw attention to breast cancer prevention in a call for the introduction of a national screening programme on October 20, 2008. Keystone

The traditional elephant parade of the Swiss Knie national circus. Keystone

900 cyclists demonstrate againt nuclear power on September 11, 2008. Keystone

Swiss Muslims taking part in a peaceful demonstration on February 11, 2006 against the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in a Danish newspaper, some of which were reprinted in Swiss newspapers. Keystone

The initiaitve committee campaigning for a basic monthly income of CHF2,500 for every citizen hand in their signatures to the Federal Chancellery on October 4, 2013. On the same day they also deposited a pile of 8,000,000 five-cent coins on the square to illustrate their point. Reuters

The traditional onion market takes place every year on the fourth Monday in November. Reuters

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The space around government buildings is often fenced off and high security. Not so in Bern where Parliament Square is the most democratic and accessible of spaces.

Farmers sell their produce here, children play in the fountains, political campaigns are launched and activities range from concerts to demonstrations to ice-skating.

The “arranged emptiness” of the parliament square today is a recent innovation; little more than a decade ago this space was a car park. The transformation of the square was completed on July 31, 2004 and the new Parliament Square was unveiled the following day – Swiss National Day.

The winners of the international competition to provide the design were Stephan Mundwiler of lee + mundwiler architects (Basel and Los Angeles) and Stauffenegger+Stutz visual design (Basel).

“Our design solution for the piazza was of that absolute void … The piazza consists of minimal, but precise architectural elements: stone, light, and water,” Stephan Mundwiler told swissinfo.ch.

The gneiss stone for the surface of the square was quarried from Vals in the Swiss Alps. A band of light symbolically leads people to the parliament. All of the infrastructural elements are hidden below ground “to achieve the aesthetic of absolute minimalism”, including an underground recycling water tank to service water to the jets above.

The project also dealt with extensive security issues due to the immediate proximity of the parliament building and the depository for the Swiss National Bank that is situated on the edge of the square.

The square, celebrating ten years as a public space, captures the essence of the Swiss value of being ‘volksnah’ – close to the people.

In the words of Joseph Deiss, Swiss president at the time of the inauguration of the square: “The way this plaza was created becomes a model character for Switzerland’s political mainstream. Its emptiness allows for openness in thinking … What our politicians need as well. Let’s use it as a metaphor for a new Switzerland, for a country reaching out to the world.”

(Text: Clare O’Dea, swissinfo.ch; selection of pictures: Christoph Balsiger, swissinfo.ch)