Centre Dürrenmatt Neuchâtel, Arts centre on the hillside of Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Centre Dürrenmatt Neuchâtel is a modern arts centre in an elevated position above the city, designed by architect Mario Botta. The building houses paintings, manuscripts, and other artistic works in carefully arranged exhibition spaces.

Friedrich Dürrenmatt moved into the house above Neuchâtel in 1952 and lived there until his death on 14 December 1990, later occupying a second building higher up. He wrote in German while living in francophone Switzerland, a situation he took up in some of his works. After his death the house was adapted and extended, and the museum opened in September 2000.

Dürrenmatt ordered the 4,000-plus volumes in his library by the languages of their authors, though he mostly read German translations; E.T.A. Hoffmann and Lessing were favourites, alongside Max Frisch and Paul Celan. In the cafeteria hangs his "Sistine Chapel", a wall painting he ironically called the fresco of his toilet. Readings, concerts and debates are held regularly.

The centre sits above the city, in the upper part of Neuchâtel, in Dürrenmatt's first house there. Mario Botta's extension places the exhibition rooms underground, reached through several entrances that echo the labyrinth motif. The terrace, conceived as an open theatre stage, looks over Lake Neuchâtel to the Bernese Alps.

The library holds over 4,000 works of world literature in Dürrenmatt's original furniture, shelved by the authors' languages though he mostly read German translations. In the cafeteria hangs his "Sistine Chapel", a wall painting he ironically called the fresco of his toilet.