Architectural models of protestant churches about to be built in Switzerland (in 1959). From an issue on modernist protestant churches of the seminal swiss architecture journal Werk, 8/1959.

scans by dispokino 2014

EM2N OFFICE AND COMMERCIAL BUILDING BINZSTRASSE, 2023 - Zurich, Switzerland Image © EM2N

Switzerland ♡

Courthouse Renovation, Munchwilen, Switzerland - Atelier Abraha Achermann

https://www.abrahachermann.com/

Despite its social media revival and an ever-growing number of aficionados around the world brutalist architecture still is frequently threatened with demolition. And even in a country like Switzerland where Le Corbusier’s portrait graces a banknote brutalist buildings aren’t immune to alteration or demolition. Against this backdrop the young architect Giacomo Paravicini decided to document the existing brutalist buildings in his home canton of Lucerne in order to inventory a rare species. Together with photographer Michael Scherer, not an architectural photographer by the way, Paravicini hit the road to capture a total of 53 buildings from single-family homes to churches, an undertaking that resulted in a truly marvelous book: „Brutales Luzern“, recently published by Quart Verlag. In contrast to other books dealing with architecture the present volume is more than a collection of stunning photographs but a true architecture book: while others solely focus on the visual appeal of brutalist architecture Paravicini also provides insightful texts on each building as well as an individual section collecting the plans of all buildings included in the book.

But in the first place it is Michael Scherer’s photographs that make up the appeal of the publication: taken in all sorts of weather conditions they visualize both the robust presence of the buildings and the marks the decades of use and weather influences have left on them. Accordingly the photographs paint realistic portraits of their subjects that are refreshingly unadorned. Among the portrayed buildings are better known ones like Marcel Breuer’s Baldegg Monastery or Walter Maria Förderer’s St Johannes Church in Lucerne but in the first place little-known gems, e.g. the Studienheim St Klemens in Ebikon by Max & Werner Ribéry, Ferdinand Mäder’s Schädrüti School in Lucerne or the Tanz-Truniger duplex by Ronald Gmür also in Lucerne. And although all buildings share the beauty of exposed concrete the different shapes, typologies and material combinations demonstrate the diversity of Brutalism in and around Lucerne.

With this said there’s no option than to highly recommend the book to literally anyone with a passion for Brutalism!

Zumthor House / Peter Zumthor / Haldenstein, Switzerland / 2005

Rudolph Olgiati Chur 1972/1973

Hotel de Ville, Geneva

A Swiss House in Klein Glienicke built by Arnim

Reviving Valendas

Breathing new life into an old property in Valendas, Switzerland.

Photos via AD Germany.

"Why can't we have nice things like this in the US?" says commenter In this week's comments update, readers are discussing a Christ & Gantenbein-designed concrete bridge in Aarau, Switzerland, which features five arches of varying widths. The 119-metre-long New Aare Bridge, which connects Aarau city centre to a forested area on the other side of the Aare River, incorporates lanes for cars, pedestrians and cyclists. The sculptural bridge The post "Why can't we have nice things like this in the US?" says commenter appeared first on Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2023/07/05/christ-gantenbein-new-aare-bridge-switzerland-comments/

Rustic Living Room - Living Room Example of a large mountain style loft-style living room design with white walls, a wood stove, a stone fireplace and no tv

SCHNEIDER STUDER PRIMAS ZWICKY SÜD, 2016 Dübendorf, Switzerland Image © Andrea Helbling

Bunker - Kanton St. Gallen - Schweiz 🇨🇭

Stable Conversion, Chernex, Switzerland - Link Architectes

Since 1973 the Stadtzürcher Heimatschutzbund takes a stand for the conservation and maintenance of historically valuable buildings, gardens and urban plannings in Zurich, Switzerland. As an independent association under private it takes a stand against the excesses of capital-driven, short-sighted interventions in the grown urban fabric and thanks to Swiss legislation is also allowed to file complaints: in consultation with the Zürcher Heimatschutz, the local authority for the protection of monuments, the organization is allowed to have a say in Zurich’s building projects. And in this capacity the Heimatschutzbund seeks to shape a sustainable, vivid and livable city.

On the occasion of its 50th anniversary the association takes a look back at its achievements but also on the manifold losses the urban fabric of Zurich had to sustain: „Baukultur erhalten. Urbane Qualität schaffen - Stadtzürcher Heimatschutz 1973–2023“, published recently by Triest Verlag, is a compendium of history and present. After a brief retrospective the book focuses on exemplary, successful projects that illustrate the broad approach of the association: one such example is the Kongresshaus, a design by Haefeli Moser Steiger completed in 1939, that the city of Zurich slated for demolition and which should have been replaced by a new building by Rafael Moneo. The Stadtzürcher Heimatzschutz already in 2005 held its annual meeting inside the Kongresshaus, organized tours around the building and most importantly showed Jakob Tuggener’s documentary of the old Zurich Trocadéro’s demolition and the consecutively erected new building. The result was a shift of opinion, also supported by journalists, that resulted in the preservation of the building.

This episode is representative of a number of successful campaigns launched by the Heimatschutz and included in the book: the association very efficiently organizes its protest against unnecessary new constructions and for the preservation of grown structures with the effect that historic layers at least in part remain visible. Accordingly the present anniversary publication by looking back also formulates ideas pointing to the future of urban planning.