As the first joint project of Rapperswil and Jona in Switzerland, symbolically announcing the merging of the two towns, Janus Project transforms the existing museum premises into a publicly significant stopping point. The project was designed by :mlzd Architects. It won the competition for the renewal and restructuring of the Rapperswil-Jona Municipal Museum, held in 2007.

The project to put up the new building has been sensitively integrated in the historic town. The view from the north, which is important for the overall visual impression of the town, is to remain unchanged. The building fits discreetly into the background of the historic picture presented by the narrow town-centre streets. With the new terrain situation and the tasteful bronze facade, the building imposes a new emphasis on its immediate surroundings and can easily be read as the main entrance to a modern museum complex.

The shape of the new building has been developed out of the lateral façades of the old buildings. Its façade and roof have been designed in such a way that the existing windows and doors of the old buildings are not intersected anywhere.

The newly created rooms are extending the museum’s spectrum in terms of space, operations and the possibilities available to the curator. Many different rooms are also available in addition to the main one and are appropriate for a variety of exhibition purposes. The way that different types of natural light are brought into play adds another interesting dimension to the building in the course of the day and the succession of the seasons. Illumination of the building through its roof and the transmission of light from floor to floor deliberately create a stark internal contrast with the legacy buildings. Firstly, that makes it easier for people to find their way around the whole complex and, secondly, the new is clearly offset against the old, heightening awareness for the threshold to the latter. Stepping into the legacy buildings thus becomes an eventful journey in time, back into the past.