The inaugural edition of SAY 2023, the Swiss Architecture Yearbook by publisher Park Books, features 36 projects selected by an international jury, representing outstanding Swiss architecture and building culture. Accompanying essays cover topical issues in the context of climate change and a construction boom in Switzerland, such as the characteristics of Swiss architecture today and its contribution to quality of life throughout Switzerland.
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Royal Academy exhibition of Swiss architectural practice Herzog & de Meuron
14 July - 15 October 2023, LONDON
The Royal Academy of Arts in London presents an exhibition of Herzog & de Meuron (H&dM), the Swiss architectural practice founded in Basel in 1978, known for projects such as Tate Modern, Laban Dance Centre, Elbphilharmonie and M+. The exhibition will be in three spaces. The first space displays 400 objects, including models, materials, prints and photographs, covering a range of projects. The second space screens two films exploring people's observations of H&dM projects. The final space focuses on a single project, the Kinderspital Zürich, Switzerland, featuring a 1:1 model of a hospital patent room. Photo © Iwan Baan. Royal Academy
MOREHouse C by celoria Architects in Medrisio, Switzerland
Swiss-based Celoria Architects have designed House C in the 'Alle Cantine' area in Mendrisio, Switzerland. It has the same volume as a previous house on the site and uses its foundations. The house stands with mountains and forest on one side and a valley leading to San Martino on the other. It is situated at the foot of a rocky wall in an area characterised by a row of houses and dominated by the Oratory of San Nicolao. The area is approached by a long, tree-lined avenue and features locally typical 'grotti' underground ventilation spaces.
(more…)MOREResidential complex in Chur with a large enclosed garden by Bearth & Deplazes
Swiss architects Bearth & Deplazes have designed a 96-unit residential complex with a cloister surrounding three sides of a large garden in Austrasse, Chur, Switzerland. Named 'Vier Jahreszeiten' (Four Seasons), the development shields the courtyard garden from a nearby highway. The garden, set with marlstone, accommodates children playing, pedestrians and cyclists, while ample trees provide shade, and islands of shrubs and flowers that are inspired by Japanese gardens.
(more…)MORE‘House with a Curtain’ in Grabs, Switzerland by Allen + Crippa
Swiss architects Allen + Crippa have designed 'House with a Curtain' in Grabs, Switzerland, within the Rhine Valley offering views of the Prealps. The house spans three floors including a basement, featuring identical floor plans inspired by traditional barn houses of the region. The front section accommodates living and dining spaces alongside a bedroom, while service areas at the rear encompass a bathroom, pantry, and staircase. Internally, partition walls serve dual purposes as built-in storage.
(more…)MOREHouse in Vuissens, Switzerland by Deschenaux Architectes
Swiss architects Deschenaux have designed a house adjacent to a forest in a neighbourhood of villas in Vuissens, a secluded village in Fribourg, Switzerland. The house is oriented towards the forest and entered through an opening in a concrete wall. Following the topography of the site, a small entrance hall leads two steps down to the kitchen, which connects to a larger volume of the living room. The living room, with forest views through a wall of glazed doors, opens to a double-height loggia.
(more…)MOREHouse Schweizer-Schmid in Ardez, Switzerland by Bearth & Deplazes
The Swiss architectural practice Bearth & Deplazes, based in Chur, has built House Schweizer-Schmid in the village of Ardez in the Lower Engadin valley, Switzerland. The house, with its exposed concrete exterior, is a contemporary interpretation of an Engadine house, traditionally characterised by large arch openings and deep, hole-like windows with funnel-shaped reveals. Photo by Juan Rodriguez. Bearth & Deplazes
MOREHouse with Three Gardens in Salez, Switzerland by architects Allen + Crippa
Swiss-based architects Allen + Crippa have renovated and extended a fire-damaged house in Salez, Switzerland. The approach was to reuse a large proportion of the structure rather than demolish and rebuild, reducing the construction time and preserving an established garden.
The exterior walls of the ground floor form a base for the new timber frame structure. The independent structure allowed for the creation of nine interconnected rooms separated by sliding doors.
(more…)MORESeen from Here. A photographic-literary encounter with buildings by Aebi & Vincent Architekten
'Seen from Here', published by Scheidegger & Spiess, explores the architecture of Aebi & Vincent Architekten through photographs by Adrian Scheidegger and Alexander Jaquemet. Its photographs are supplemented with text by writer Gianna Molinari, giving readers an insight into how the buildings are used.
(more…)MOREEM2N City Factory, Advocating for a City of Co-Existance
Park Books has released EM2N City Factory, the first major monograph highlighting Swiss architect EM2N's 25-year contribution to Zurich's urban transformation. The book is edited by EM2N's founding partners, Mathias Müller and Daniel Niggli, with contributions from fellow architects Caspar Schärer and Medine Altiok.
(more…)MOREApartment building in Aarau, Switzerland by Gautschi Lenzin Schenker
Swiss architects Gautschi Lenzin Schenker have designed a building with six small apartments to replace a residential building in Aarau, Switzerland. The three-storey building comprises six 2.5-room apartments across three floors and an attic, with ancillary rooms in the basement. A covered area with space for bicycles leads to the ground floor, which is raised for flood protection.
(more…)MOREWinery in Jenins, Switzerland by Bearth and Deplazes
Swiss architects Bearth and Deplazes have created Winery Obrecht at the eastern entrance to the village of Jenins in Switzerland. The architects have formed a courtyard by adding a new building to the 'assembly' of existing structures, which include the former 'Zur Sonne' inn and wooden stable, with later additions including an additional stable, a shed, and a barn.
(more…)MOREHigh-rise H1 building in Zurich by Bolthauser Architekten
Swiss-based Bolthauser Architekten has designed the high-rise H1 building on the Zwhatt site, in the Banhoff Nord development area of Regensdorf, near Zurich. The building is a response to a pavilion designed by artist Alexander Brodsky and is part of Peter Märkli's masterplan, which includes a second high-rise building designed by Märkli. The 24-storey, 75-meter tall building is constructed with a three-floor concrete 'table' supporting a timber structure above. The ground floor is accessible to the public and includes a bistro, while the next two floors comprise co-working areas. Above this, there are 150 apartments of various sizes, configured according to the timber structure.
(more…)MOREOpen House Zurich 2023
30 September - 1 October 2023, ZURICH.
This is the 8th year of Open House Zurich and over 130 buildings and outdoor spaces, that are normally closed to the public, will be accessible with guided tours by architects, curators, building users and volunteers. Buildings include the extension to the Landesmuseum Zurich by architects Christ and Gantenbein, Casa Zentner by Italian architects Carlo Alberto Scarpa and the apartment building on Forsterstrasse by architects Christian Kerez.
(more…)MORELehni Table Flex 2.0 designed by Hanspeter Weidmann
Table Flex 2.0 is a revised version of a table designed in 2011 by Swiss designer Hanspeter Weidmann for Swiss manufacturer Lehni. The lightweight table is made of thin curved aluminium in three parts, the legs and the tabletop, which are screwed together without the need for welding or glues. The finish is anodised aluminium or powder-coated, and the table is designed to be used as a dining, office or garden table. Lehni
MOREZurich Design Weeks and Design Biennale Zurich 2023
31 August - 19 September 2023, ZURICH.
In 2023, Zurich Design Weeks returns for its second edition centred around 'TRANSITION', exploring 'a world undergoing complex changes'. There are over 60 programs comprising exhibitions, events, talks, and walks around the city. Additionally, this year's focus on the Circular Circuit highlights Zurich's role as the first Swiss city to establish a legally recognized circular economy. The information hub for Zurich Design Week is the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich.
(more…)MOREBrandenberger Kloter Architekten completes primary school building in Aarwangen, Switzerland
Basel-based Swiss architects Brandenberger Kloter Architekten have created a primary school building on the existing Sonnhalde campus in the centre of Aarwangen in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. Seamless in-situ concrete is used as the primary construction and facade material, in keeping with the existing 1960s buildings. A deep incision in the building at ground floor level marks the entrance, with a large entrance hall leading to the library, kindergarten and workrooms on the ground floor, and classrooms on the upper floors.
(more…)MORERoger Boltshauser: Response
Park Books has published 'Roger Boltshauser: Response', a book edited by the Galerie d’Architecture de Paris that reviews 12 recent buildings by Zurich-based Swiss architects Roger Boltshauser Architekten. The book features photographs by Italian Swiss architecture photographer Luca Ferrarios, hand drawings by Roger Boltshauser and text by Reinhard Gassner, Jonathan Sergison, Alexandre Theriot and Jan de Vylder. Photo © Luca Ferrario. Park Books
MOREThe Röthlisberger Perfo bed designed by Hans Eichenberger
The Perfo bed is manufactured by Swiss company Röthlisberger and was designed in 1959 by Hans Eichenberger, co-founder of the Swiss Design Group. The bed comprises a solid mahogany frame, a perforated Multiplex base covered with felt, and is supported by solid wooden legs or chrome runners. Röthlisberger
MORELoop Chair by Willy Guhl for Eternit
The Loop Chair was designed in 1954 by Swiss designer Willy Guhl for Eternit. The shape of the chair was originally conceived in 1947 using clay impressions. The production chairs were made of mass produced Eternit fibre cement mats, which were moulded before they hardened. The design was revised by Guhl in 1997 and made of an asbestos-free fibre-reinforced cement (FRC), with a larger radii and two reinforcing corrugations to compensate for the weaker material. Photo of original 1954 Loop Chair. Swisspearl
MORELehni Aluminium Shelf designed by Andreas Christen
Swiss manufacturer Lehni, working with Swiss artist and designer Andreas Christen, developed the Aluminium Shelf for the Swiss National Exhibition Expo 64 in Lausanne. The bookcase was the first furniture piece created by Lehni, originally a Swiss-based plumbing workshop and metalworker established in 1922. The Aluminium Shelf was conceived as a modular shelving system manufactured in either bare or anodised aluminium, employing the techniques of punching, bending and folding and utilising screws instead of welds. The system includes accessories such as drawers, sliding doors and pull-out shelves. Photo Lehni. Lehni
MORELondon Design Biennale 2023: ‘The Global Game: Remapping Collaboration’
1-25 June 2023, LONDON
The forth edition of the London Design Biennale takes place at Somerset house and its artistic director is the Nieuwe Instituut, the Netherlands national museum and institute for architecture, design and digital culture, led by General and Artistic Director, Aric Chen. The Biennale's theme is collaboration and it brings together design participants from around the world. London Design Biennale
MOREArchitecture Models from Peter Zumthor at Werkraum Bregenzerwald, Austria
18 March - 16 September 2023
An exhibition about 'architecture born of craftsmanship' is to exhibit architecture models from the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. The models are working models that counter the abstraction of computer-assisted drafting by their solidity and texture. The venue, which was designed by Zumthor, is the Werkraum Bregenzerwald in the Bregenz Forest, Austria. Photo Peter Loewy for Werkraum Bregenzerwald. Werkraum Bregenzerwald
MOREbuilt by Valerio Olgiati
Celebrated Swiss architect Valerio Olgiati's latest book 'built' is published by European publishing house Park Books. The book features fifteen of Valerio Olgiati's buildings with seventy nine colour photographs and floor plans or sections.
Projects include the museum for the UNESCO world cultural heritage site in Bahrain, the Céline flagship store in Miami, Baloise Insurance’s headquarters in Basel, the bedroom of French fashion designer Nicolas Ghesquière in Paris, the Swiss National Park visitor centre and the studio house for Swiss musician Linard Bardill in Scharans. Park Books
MOREHerzog & de Meuron designs campus for Royal College of Art in Battersea
Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron have created 15,500 sq m of workshop, studio and research space for the Battersea campus of the Royal College of Art in London. The textured brickwork and the large north-facing clerestory windows of the studio building, together with the metal fins of the research building, create a distinctive identity for the campus. The building achieves a BREEAM Excellent rating and is designed to be robust, low maintenance and flexible. Photo © Iwan Baan. Herzog & de Meuron, Royal College of Art.
MOREValues of Design at the V&A Gallery in Shenzhen China
2 December 2017 - 4 August 2019.
The inaugural exhibition, Values of Design, at the V&A gallery in Shenzhen features over 250 objects from 950AD to the present. The V&A gallery opened on 2nd December in Shekou, Shenzhen. Image SwissChamp XAVT 80' Swiss Army Knife by Victorinox, 2006. V&A Shekou, Design Society
MOREMaarten Van Severen .03 Chair
Maarten van Severen studied architecture at the Art Academy in Ghent and produced his first furniture in 1986. In 1990 he began a collaboration with the architect Rem Koolhaus and started to concentrate on interiors. The .03 chair is designed to be unobtrusive yet comfortable and is made of resilient polyurethane integral foam. The chair is designed to respond to the body by flexing. Maarten's collaboration with the family owned Swiss manufacturer Vitra commenced in 1996. Vitra
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