Military training area at St. Luzisteig near Fläsch, canton Graubünden
Keystone
Caplutta Sogn Benedetg (St Benedict Chapel), Sumvitg, canton Graubünden
Keystone
Caplutta Sogn Benedetg (St Benedict Chapel), Sumvitg, canton Graubünden
Keystone
Kolumba Museum, art museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne
Keystone
Bruder Klaus Field Chapel, Mechernich-Wachendorf, Germany
akg-images
Bruder Klaus Field Chapel, Mechernich-Wachendorf, Germany
akg-images
Bregenz Art Museum, Austria
Keystone
Serpentine Pavilion, London
akg-images
Serpentine Pavilion, London
akg-images
Rendering of an external view of the extension project of Fondation Beyeler in Riehen, near Basel
Atelier Zumthor
Rendering of a gallery view of the same project
Atelier Zumthor
Rendering of an external view of the projected new building of the Los Angeles County Art Museum (LACMA)
Atelier Zumthor
Interior gallery views of the projected new LACMA building
Atelier Zumthor
Swiss architect Peter Zumthor celebrated his 75th birthday on Thursday. 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.
This content was published on
I write articles on the Swiss Abroad and “Quirky Switzerland” as well as daily/weekly briefings. I also translate, edit and sub-edit articles for the English department and do voiceover work for videos.
Born in London, I have a degree in German/Linguistics and was a journalist at The Independent before moving to Bern in 2005. I speak all three official Swiss languages and enjoy travelling the country and practising them, above all in pubs, restaurants and gelaterias.
As a photo editor I am responsible for the editorial use of photography at SWI swissinfo.ch and our collaborations with photographers. When the opportunity arises, I take a camera and accompany one of our journalists.
I trained as a photographer in Zürich and began working as a photojournalist in 1989. I was a founder of the Swiss photographers' agency Lookat Photos in 1990. A two-time World Press Award winner, I have also been awarded several Swiss national scholarships. My work has been widely exhibited and it is represented in various collections.
Born on April 26, 1943, Zumthor grew up near Basel. Following an apprenticeship as a cabinet maker, he studied interior design and architecture at the School of Applied Arts in Basel and the Pratt Institute in New York.
In 1979, after working as a building and planning consultant for canton Graubünden in eastern Switzerland, Zumthor established his own practice in Haldenstein, where he still works.
He was a professor at the University of Italian-speaking Switzerland’s Academy of Architecture from 1996-2008 and has also held visiting professorships at several international universities, including the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
He has received numerous prizes, including the Mies van der Rohe Award for European Architecture (1998), Japan’s Praemium Imperiale (2008), the Pritzker Architecture Prize, often called the “Nobel Prize of architecture”, (2009) and the Royal Institute of British Architects’ Royal Gold Medal (2012).
In 2017, he received the lifetime award from the Association of German Architects, the first non-German to receive the prize. “His consistent focus on the idea of light, material and space – plus his meticulous attention to detail and quality – give his work a timeless relevance,” the association said.
Despite the accolades, Zumthor has said he aims to create buildings that become part of everyday life so that even people who don’t consider their architectural merit can enjoy them.
More
More
Culture
‘I had to learn that failing goes with the job’
This content was published on
Peter Zumthor, the Swiss architect behind the new Los Angeles County Museum of Art, explains how hard it is to accept democratic processes.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.