DAS B: BLINDEN- UND BEHINDERTENZENTRUM BERN
Focus Work HS24
Student: Sofia Gloor
Supervision: Rune Frandsen

The Centre for the Blind and Disabled (BB) in Bern is an example of the changes in society’s approach to people with disabilities in the 20th and 21st centuries. Originally designed as a home for the blind and now a centre for people with multiple disabilities or for blind people in old age, the architecture and conversions of the building reflect not only changing usage needs, but also changing values and norms. While early depictions showed people with disabilities as objects of care, today’s perspective emphasises self-determination and participation. Hans and Gret Reinhard’s building from 1967 impresses with its adaptability to new technologies, user groups and social requirements – an architectural feature that is particularly central to facilities for people with disabilities.

This work focuses on the thesis that the building can be used to trace the history of the emancipation of the blind people of Bern and the change in institutional and social attitudes. In addition to the architectural view, historical documents, remodelling plans and current political initiatives – such as the inclusion initiative – are used to show how closely architecture, social participation and monument preservation are linked.