1 mins
LERICE NAGER & SAVANNAH CHILDERS
A peek into lutherie workshops around the world
LOCATION Bern, Switzerland
ALL PHOTOS THOMAS SCHWARZ
Avantgarde Violins is situated in the south-west of Bern, in the Liebefeld district. It was once an industrial area, but it’s recently been turned into a centre for trade, art and cultural businesses. We’re surrounded by other artisans, graphic designers, teachers and dance workshops, so it’s become a thriving arts community in just the past few years. Our windows look on to the street and we like to talk to our neighbours and anyone just wanting to look in.
The name Avantgarde Violins is meant to reflect our innovative approach to violin making. We like creating innovative designs and prototypes and then carving them out with the help of a CNC machine. This means we can make adjustments to the designs quickly and easily, and see it as a possible way of building affordable instruments locally and in a sustainable way. For example, one of our customers recently commissioned a blue five-string violin from us; we’re currently at the finishing stages and experimenting with different kinds of blue varnish. There’s a separate workbench in the far corner where we do anything involving chemicals, such as gluing and varnishing or making plaster casts. It also acts as an extra space where we can have guest luthiers or interns from time to time.
There are several plants dotted around the workshop, which provide a nice contrast to the concrete elements of the building. A shop near us was selling off a number of plants that were almost dying, so we rescued them! About half of them survived in the end, and we have large windows and excellent lights all around, so we think they are happy. There’s even a plant on top of our stereo, which plays everything from world music to metal and punk while we’re working. Next to it is a small collection of bridges, from cellos to violas da gamba, which we often refer to for inspiration.