05/04/2011

On March 29, the foundation was laid for the new Research and Archive Centre of the Swiss Cinematheque on the site it has occupied for many years in Penthaz, Vaud. The gradual destruction of the current premises (Penthaz I) and their reconstruction (Penthaz II) will enable the institution to set up infrastructures that measure up to its conservation mission.

With about 62,000 films, 2.8 million photographs, 300,000 posters, 26,000 books and 10,000 screenplays, the Swiss Cinematheque possesses and manages one of the largest collections of film-related documents in the world.

Planned over several phases in order to guarantee constant activity on the site, the building work will last until 2015. It is expected to cost the Swiss Confederation 60m Swiss Francs (€45.8m).

The main aim of the new centre is to meet the many technical challenges of the conservation and archival storage of film material that the institution makes available every year to researchers and cinema enthusiasts. But the conditions in which visitors are received are also at the heart of the project: besides the basements for storing pieces of work, the building will include a museum space, movie theatre, viewing boxes, conference rooms and a library.

At the invitation of Swiss Cinematheque head Frédéric Maire, and the director of the Federal Office for Culture Jean-Frédéric Jauslin, about 100 people attended the laying of the foundation stone for Penthaz II.

(Translated from French)