SWISS ARCHITECTURE
An overview of projects, products and exclusive articles about SWISS ARCHITECTURE
Project • By LOCALARCHITECTURE • Theaters
BOULIMIE THEATER
"Boulimie" was originally the title of the official cabaret show at the 1964 Swiss National Exhibition. It later gave its name to the venue where it was created. The venue became a permanent fixture on the Lausanne scene, and from 1965 onwards offered a program that gave pride of place to humor in all its forms. It thus became a theatre, and its productions gradually toured Switzerland and the French-speaking world.
© Dylan Perrenoud / LOCALARCHITECTURE
First transformation
In 1970, the troupe led by Martine Jeanneret and Lova Golovtchiner converted the former popular restaurant on Place Arlaud, a stone's throw from La Riponne, into a 150-seat theatre. A small stage that will feature the leading Swiss and foreign comedians of ev... More
News • News • 1 Mar 2024
Emixi Architectes designs a temporary classroom pavilion in a park
Lausanne-based Emixi Architectes has completed the design and build of a temporary classroom pavilion in Romanel-sur-Lausanne, a municipality in Switzerland. Located in Prazqueron Park, the contemporary, single-story building has four corner classrooms, each with direct access to the outside. Generously glazed facades connect the classroom pavilion with its park setting and flood internal spaces with an abundance of natural light. The pavilion is encircled by a covered walkway that provides shade in warm summer months and a level of protection against the elements.
Karina Castro
Karina Castro
Emixi Architectes
Emixi Architectes
The classroom pavilion was commissioned by Romanel-sur-Lausanne’s munic... More
News • News • 22 Feb 2024
Herzog & de Meuron bases SIP Main Campus on the concept of a courtyard house
International architectural practice Herzog & de Meuron has completed SIP Main Campus, a large-scale innovation complex situated on the north-west edge of Allschwil in Switzerland. The building’s structural concept allows for a variety of applications by reducing interior divisions and vertical supports wherever possible. The flexible nature of the construction combined with the use of durable building materials, extends the structure’s potential lifespan. Its substantial courtyard offers a space for recreational activity.
Julien Lanoo
Julien Lanoo
The SIP (Switzerland Innovation Park) Main Campus is part of the BaseLink site, an ecosystem of companies, start-ups, universities, and foundations working in l... More
News • Detail • 14 Feb 2024
Detail: The planned disassembly of a temporary wooden sports hall in Zurich
Swiss architectural practice Itten+Brechbühl AG (IB) has completed the “Sporthallenprovisorium Gloriarank” — temporary sports hall Gloriarank. Located in the center of Zurich, the prefabricated wooden structure will provide an interim sports facility during the development of Forum UZH, a new education and research center for the University of Zurich (UZH).
Yohan Zerdoun Photography
Scheduled for realization during the next decade, Forum UZH is a significant part of the large-scale transformation of Zurich’s university quarter. To complete the project, it is necessary to remove four existing sports halls — they will be replaced by new sports facilities in the Forum UZH center. In the m... More
News • News • 22 Jan 2024
Johannes Saurer Architekt completes conscientious expansion and conversion of Thun factory building
Swiss architectural studio Johannes Saurer Architekt has completed the conscientious expansion and conversion of a former factory that made stones for watches and later operated as a machine factory. The project conserves the existing space and the expansion meets the needs of its new IT tenants. Maintaining the fabric of the original building, the project reinvigorates and repurposes the tired 20th century factory, making it fit for use in the 21st century.
View before the renovation:
Thomas Telley Tafers
View after the renovation:
Thomas Telley Tafers
The factory is located in an industrial area in the west of Thun, a town and municipality in Switzerland. Built in 1952, it was designed by 35-year-old Thun-based archit... More
News • News • 21 Dec 2023
Haldenstein School is a rationalist building complex fitting for a historic Swiss village
A new pair of school buildings in the Alpine capital of Chur, Switzerland completed by the local studio Pablo Horváth Architekt is evidence of a highly rational and humanist design responsive to the historic city’s layout and grid. Together the four-story classroom block and single-story cafeteria block form a significant extension to an existing kindergarten and primary school.
The project is visible from the village center and marks the limit of the former municipality of Haldenstein. In plan the school buildings are set back from the street to permit safe access to the school area as well as a protected schoolyard on three sides. An existing lime tree was integrated as a central element around which the buildings are situat... More
News • News • 6 Dec 2023
Atelier Archiplein completes a solid stone social housing building in Geneva
On the banks of the Rhône in Geneva, Atelier Archiplein, a Geneva-based architecture and urbanism firm, has completed the development of a solid stone building, comprising ten social housing units and a workshop.
Leo Fabrizio
Leo Fabrizio
The building at 1 rue de la Coulouvrenière in Geneva’s historic center, was erected on one of the last remaining construction plots available on the banks of the Rhône. The plot belonged to the Canton of Geneva and was given to the Fondation Nicolas Bogueret (a provider of social and low-rent housing), for the development of social housing. The recently completed project by Atelier Archiplein is the result of an invitational competition in 2018 on behalf of the N... More
News • News • 29 Aug 2023
Lacroix Chessex completes a contemporary renovation of a characterful Swiss home
In the small village of Vésenaz on the outskirts of Geneva, Swiss architectural studio Lacroix Chessex has undertaken a careful and contemporary renovation of “Maison à la Capite” (House in La Capite), a traditional, characterful home. The studio renovated the existing building and added a contemporary extension across two levels.
Olivier di Giambattista
Olivier di Giambattista
Maison à la Capite is sited on a 60-meter-long x 8-meter-wide strip-shaped plot of land, covering a surface area of 464 square meters (4,994 square feet), which is typical of plots found in the vicinity. The house sits on the highest point of a steep 8-meter slope. Facing south-east/north-west, the slope affords vie... More
News • News • 21 Jul 2023
Huebergass: how inclusivity, affordability, and sustainability work together
In the Swiss capital of Bern, Huebergass und Stadtteilpark Holligen (Hueber Lane and District Park Holligen)is a residential development project by GWJ Archtektur (Bern), ORT landscape architects (Zurich) and social partner Martin Beutler (Soziale Plastik, Bern). The joint team worked in a collaborative process with the cooperative “Wir sind Stadtgarten.”
Damian Poffett
As in many cities worldwide, Bern suffers from a housing shortage, particularly affordable housing. The result of a competition, this new project in the Holligen quarter was conceived to deliver new affordable housing while upholding social, sociological, and economic sustainability principles and accommodating various lifestyles while fostering c... More
News • News • 21 Jul 2023
25 best architecture firms in Switzerland
Swiss architecture is renowned for its unparalleled focus on functionality, innovation and seamless integration with the surrounding landscapes. Rooted in a rich heritage influenced by neighbouring countries and international movements, Swiss architecture has carved a unique identity in harmony with nature. The Swiss have long embraced the concept of "form follows function," ensuring that every building serves a purpose beyond mere aesthetics. This philosophy is quite evident from the simplicity of traditional Swiss chalets defined by wooden construction to contemporary architecture that prioritizes environmentally conscious materials and design.
In the contemporary context, Swiss architects have shaped modern architecture through the esta... More
News • News • 19 Jul 2023
The faceted design of a new residential building responds to its surroundings
In Stans, Switzerland, Zürich-based Bob Gysin Partner (BGP) has completed the new Mettenweg residential building. A place for “people with special care and care needs, regardless of age,” this new edifice replaces the historic Mettenweg home — with its outdated infrastructure, the original home was no longer able to hold a care permit. The building’s faceted construction is designed to integrate the residence with the neighboring buildings and nature, while at the same time defining its own unique presence.
Roger Frei, Zurich
Faceted construction inside and outside
The site in which the Mettenweg residence sits includes a number of structures from different eras, built in a hamlet-like formati... More
News • News • 10 Jul 2023
The Swiss House is a novel reinterpretation of traditional Swiss architecture
The Swiss House is a new building project by Polish architectural practice BXB studio Bogusław Barnaś. A contemporary reading of vernacular architecture, design for the Swiss House was informed by centuries-old traditions, geography, climate, and context. Its plan reinterprets a regional building style known as the Gotthard House. Located in Unterschächen, Switzerland, this intriguing construction sits in harmony with the alpine landscape.
BXB studio Bogusław Barnaś
BXB studio Bogusław Barnaś
The 1,050-square-meter (11,302-square-feet) Swiss House is a multifunctional building, with commercial space, apartments, co-working facilities, and tourism-related activities. Its design incorporates a covered bus stop, mountai... More
Project • By Kit Architects • Care Homes
Health Centre Rosenthal
In the heritage-protected core of the municipality of Wald ZH, between the village centre, the railway station and the parish church, a building was constructed, the Rosenthal Health Centre, which unites the facilities of the Drei Tannen Foundation under one roof and anchors them in the village.
Ruedi Walti
In terms of size, the new building is oriented towards the existing manufactories from the textile heyday. The three staggered building sections respond to the varying scales and orientations of the context and create varied outdoor spaces. The pigmented, blasted concrete element façade borrows its colour from the neighbouring buildings. Like a fabric, it covers the compact body and creates a nuanced play of shadows. In dial... More
Project • By Kit Architects • Fire stations
Fire Station Weinfelden
In 2013, the political commune of Weinfelden arranged an open architectural competition for a new single building to house the fire brigade and the Samaritan emergency services; their resources had up until then been distributed over various locations. Out of the 58 participants, it was the «Grisu» project by kit that was the winner. The jury praised the project as a cultivated industrial building. It stands out through its architectural precision and the impact it has in enhancing the overall urban impression of the route into Weinfelden. At the same time, the new building superbly fulfils all the functional requirements of the various blue-light organisations.
Ruedi Walti
The new Fire Station is located at the entrance t... More
Project • By Kit Architects • Private Houses
House above the lake
The "House above the Lake" is situated on the northern slope of Lake Zurich. The sculptural building is enclosed by its rough surface facing the slope-side street, while it opens up towards the lake through its generous windows.
Ruedi Walti
Considering the topographical conditions and the positioning of surrounding buildings and trees, the private areas have been concentrated on the middle floor. This arrangement allows the attic and garden floors to be utilized as living spaces, with one offering an almost uninterrupted view of the lake, and the other providing direct access to the garden. The centerpiece of the house is the two-story entrance, which serves as a walk-in sculpture, incorporating exposed concrete and walnut wood to har... More