1. Neues Schauspielhaus, Jørn-Utzon, Zürich, 1963-1973, Überarbeitetes Projekt 1969, Quelle : Baugeschichtliches Archiv der Stadt Zürich
The unexpected stories of building architecture in Switzerland
From towering skyscrapers to quaint village squares, each unbuilt design offers a glimpse into a parallel universe, where innovation beats in harmony with democracy. Switzerland is one of the few countries when the population is so determined by the realisation of architecture and urbanism. While this has produced a democratically approved architecture that is unique in the world, it has also prevented numerous projects from becoming part of the country's built history.
The show discussed the lost, rejected, stalled or changed projets that continue to be talked about to this day in Switzerland, even though they have never been executed.
Led by the curator and director of the S AM Andreas Kofler, "What If" invites the visitors to embark on a journey through the landscapes of Swiss architecture, where the boundaries of imagination blur with reality.
The narrative of the show
The narrative of the exhibition starts out in the first room, which is design like an architecture school and workshop, mixing exhibition texts, models on metallic shelf and a video previewing presentation of architecture models of well-known architects.
The models of the "Salon des refusés" present project that were not approved for realisation, thus they are displayed and then reshaped into new designs in the S AM art education program.
On the other side of the wall, there is a film projection of "The Competition" an architecture documentary which present some of the world's famous architects who compete for the contract of the future National Museum of Andorra.
During the three-month phase of the project, the architect was working on the design and the look of their project, which aligned with the desire of the client. With presentations of projects by Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel, Zahah Hadid and numerous others.
The following room present office like space presenting each model in depth. Presenting the model and numerous ephemera, the visitors are invited to seat on the desk, thus putting the visitors into an architect.
But it's much more then that because the Swiss citizens have an extensive right of co-determination of architectural and urban development, a feature not commonly found in many other countries.
Thus, it had led to the creation of a building culture that is globally unparalleled in its democratic endorsement. But it also posed challenges, hindering numerous projects that could have contributed to the architectural heritage of the nation and reflecting its time.
Informations about the exhibition
Place: S AM
Date: 25.11.2023 – 5.5.2024
Curator: Andreas Kofler
Ticket: Available at the front desk of the museum
Informations about the S AM
Steinberg 7
CH-4051 Basel
Phone: +41 61 261 14 13
Mail: info@sam-basel.org