Gaskessel, Cultural center in Bern, Switzerland.

Gaskessel is a cultural center built from two large spherical domes made of steel and brick, positioned along the Aare River in a former industrial district. The structure provides space for art events, exhibitions, and discussions of various kinds.

The building was originally constructed in the early 1900s as gas storage tanks for Bern. During the 1970s youth movement, it was converted into a cultural and community space.

The space serves as a gathering place for young people, where local groups regularly organize concerts, theater performances, and film screenings. Visitors experience a self-managed culture shaped by volunteers who keep the venue active and welcoming.

The site lies directly beside the Aare, and the two hemispheres are reached on foot from the riverside path. The venue is run by a supporting association whose board is mostly made up of young members, and the city of Bern owns the property. The association deliberately keeps the threshold for joining low, so newcomers can get involved in concert organising, art and theatre projects.

In summer 1985 the alternative settlement Zaffaraya occupied the grounds of the former gasworks next to the Gaskessel; its violent police evacuation in November 1987 set off a series of support demonstrations. The site, once surrounded by wasteland and industry, is becoming a new neighbourhood with a park, housing blocks and a hotel in the 2020s.