Swiss architects enjoy a sophisticated culture of building design. They draw on a collaborative process to make expert use of favored materials like wood and concrete. Their best works are bold yet understated to fit in with and reflect the natural beauty of Switzerland.
These are just a few of the things we learn from Anna Roos, the author of a meticulous book entitled, “Swiss Sensibility: The Culture of Architecture in Switzerland”. The 256-page hardcoverExternal link gives a richly illustrated account of how a small nation produces so much fine architecture.
She’s been raising a family for close to two decades in the Swiss capital, where she teaches art and writes for architecture journals based in Britain, the Netherlands, South Korea and Switzerland. So what led a South African-born architect, teacher and writerExternal link, who studied in London and lived and worked in Paris and Frankfurt, to become an authority on Swiss architecture?
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Not only has the country produced several noteworthy architects of its own, it has also attracted several foreign big names. But the country’s small size and lack of large projects have resulted in many Swiss architects seeking work abroad. Architects in history The most illustrious of these architects before the 20th century was Francesco Borromini,…
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Swiss university students are stretching the rules of an American building competition to give communities a cool, energy-efficient place to hang out.
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In 2000, the Herzog & de MeuronExternal link architecture firm converted the former Bankside Power Station in London into what is now known as the Tate ModernExternal link museum. With 4.7 million visitors in 2015 it’s one of the most visited contemporary art museums in the world. In June 2016, the extension was opened by…
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Swiss architect Peter Zumthor has a huge international reputation, but his body of work remains small. “As an architect, I am an author,” he writes in his long-awaited monograph. Precision and artistry are his watchwords.
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Peter Zumthor is known for buildings that are responsive to their location and function. He also considers very carefully which materials are used and the atmospheric quality of the spaces the buildings encompass.
Le Corbusier still a key figure for young architects
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Le Corbusier, Herzog & De Meuron, Mario Botta and Peter Zumthor – to mention only the most prominent names – have put Swiss architecture on the world map. The younger generation has not yet achieved the same celebrity, but it is striking out in new directions of its own. For the 125th anniversary of the…
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The honour is awarded annually in recognition of an individual’s or group’s substantial contribution to international architecture. Zumthor, the institute said, is “celebrated for his highly atmospheric and charged spaces” and “creates buildings that are an experience for all the senses”. The Guardian newspaper in London, reporting the RIBA news, said breathlessly that the 69-year-old…
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The Pritzker jury of architects, academics, writers and designers on Sunday praised Zumthor in their citation for his timeless structures that feed off the cultures in which they are built and show respect for their surroundings. “His buildings have a commanding presence … showing us again and again that modesty in approach and boldness in…
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