The starting point for the project is the competition for a new archive building for the Swiss Federal Archives. The initial intention of the competition is primarily to increase storage capacity. By proposing a new location - the current site of the Federal Archives - and expanding the scope of the demanded program, the archive becomes publicly accessible and provides spaces for restoration, research and exhibitions.

The competition brief suggests relocating the Federal Archives to the suburbs of Bern, specifically Zollikofen. While this proposed site offers a rational and pragmatic solution, it reduces the Federal Archive to the role of a mere warehouse—a utilitarian facility designed solely for storage. As an important preserver of the country’s history, this raises the question of whether this is the right approach. The archive would be positioned on the periphery, out of sight and largely detached from public accessibility.

Instead, the project proposes to extend the current building. Archives, like libraries and museums, are an important part of our society and shape our understanding of history. These institutions not only store but indirectly interpret our past. Deciding what is worth collecting and what is not is an act of exerting power. Archives are not hermetically sealed repositories but active participants in society. As such they should be publicly visible and accessible.