After an extensive renovation, the Centre Culturel Suisse in Paris is back to spread the word about Switzerland’s creative prowess
Housed in a 17th-century mansion in the Marais, the newly reopened cultural centre is is Switzerland's most ambitious cultural export to date.
Making Swiss culture stand out in a global arts and design epicentre such as Paris is a tall order. But the revamped Centre Culturel Suisse (CCS) – which reopened to the public earlier this year after a four-year, CHF7.3m (€7.9m) renovation – has set a new benchmark for those seeking to promote a nation’s creativity and values abroad.
It’s the only overseas Swiss centre of its kind to be entirely funded by Pro Helvetia, a federal council that promotes the country’s artists and cultural practitioners at home and internationally. “The fact that the Swiss government has chosen to invest in this way exclusively in Paris says a lot,” says CCS’s director, Jean-Marc Diébold. It’s proof that the French capital continues to be a key European hub of cultural promotion.
Based in the heart of the Marais district, the multidisciplinary centre was established in 1985 as a response to the growing number of Swiss painters, creatives and architects calling Paris home. “They put pressure on the Swiss government to create a space in which they could disseminate their work,” says Diébold, who previously managed French and Swiss dance and theatre companies overseas. “Switzerland is a small country surrounded by large European neighbours, so it’s only natural that the country’s artists have exported their oeuvre beyond their own borders.”
The 17th-century maison particulière combines French Renaissance elegance with Swiss idiosyncrasies. In the courtyard, neighbourhood café Le Voltigeur has created a dinky Swiss buvette – a kiosk inspired by Alpine snack hatches – that offers a Swiss renversé coffee, as well as 18 types of chocolate. There’s also a library with volumes from Swiss publishers including Park Books and Edition Patrick Frey. The building was revamped by Parisian firm ASBR and Basel studio Truwant + Rodet, giving it a post-industrial ambience. CCS also commissioned bespoke LED signage from Zürich and Paris-based graphic designer Marietta Eugster.
During the renovation, CCS conducted a “tour de France”, travelling to places such as Dunkirk, Rennes and Guadeloupe to showcase its work to broader Francophone audiences. Diébold wants to retain this outward-facing approach. “There’s a danger of becoming introspective as we settle back into our permanent space,” he says. “But we want to show the world that Switzerland is far more complex than people think.”
ccsparis.com
Comment
The Centre Culturel Suisse is an important part of Switzerland’s soft-power armoury that also enriches Paris’s artistic profile. It’s a lesson in how mutually beneficial such platforms can be.
