To celebrate and cultivate the art of Paul Klee (1879– 1940), and in accordance with the wishes of the artist’s family, the institutions of the Canton of Bern called on Renzo Piano to design this museum, which was inaugurated in 2005 and is home to approximately 4 thousand works out of the 10 thousand created by the maestro. The Zentrum was designed by RPBW as a gentle wave that follows the natural contours of the land. Almost invisible from a distance, the curves of the structure create three artificial hills that house the exhibition space, a concert hall, a conference centre, a centre for the study, research and promotion of Klee’s work, and an interactive museum for children called Creaviva, which also organises art workshops.
While the artistic themes examined by the museum reflect the multifaceted talents of the German-Swiss Klee – an artist and teacher with close ties to music and poetry – the building itself is a reflection of his passion for the harmony of natural shapes and proportions.
More than a museum, the Zentrum is, in effect, an all-round centre studying the life and work of Klee. Alongside Klee's art, it also exhibits pieces by Wassily Kandinsky, Franz Marc and Alexej von Jawlensky that Klee himself received as gifts, as well as a number of personal objects - such as the marionettes that the artist made for his son Felix - and manuscripts that provide an insight into the artist’s life, passions, ideas and work.

Due to the fact that Klee’s works are particularly delicate, the Zentrum presents its collection in batches of approximately 150-200 works at a time and chosen in accordance with a specific theme.
The choice of not having the entire collection on permanent display is due to the fact that Klee used colours and types of paper that are extremely sensitive to light, rendering his paintings, watercolours and drawings particularly delicate. After being shown for about six months, the pictures need a “period of rest”, away from light.