Horlogerie Ditisheim La Chaux-de-Fonds

Both the winter and summer semesters focused on com-plementary aspects of the architectural project. In both semesters, the project briefs examined questions of contemporary housing, but in the winter, aspects of architectural space and volume were emphasized. Stu-dents had first to develop two apartments within the volume of an existing watch manufacturing building in La Chaux-de-Fonds. One of the apartments served as a point of departure in the second phase for a project on an adjacent site that had also to include an archi-tectural office for the student’s own use. In this way, the students were asked to find forms for their own ideal ‘live/work situation of the future’.

Eunho Kim

Brasserie La Chaux-de-Fonds

Unlike the winter semester, which was focussed on ex-periments with space, form, function and circulation, the summer semester was dedicated to the problems of building in an urban context.

Based on the reading of certain key texts drawn from the recent discussion on urban theory, the students in La Chaux-de-Fonds that had never been dealt with properly. Next, they had to study possible facade sol-utions using a given pal-ette of materials and finally, to define a small version of the live/work situation devel-oped in the winter sem-ester. It was only then that a specific project was de-signed in a process that involved relevant readings at every stage.

Ueli Degen

Analyse Stadt La Chaux-de-Fonds

Volumenstudie	Projekt Situationsmodell		Fassadenmodell	Wohnungsgr.
Grundriss EG		Grundriss EG

Raphael Vanzella, Projekt nach Text «Strukturalismus»
Gilbert Iserman, Projekt nach Text «Volumenaggregat»
Iris Stelzmüller, Projekt nach Text «Objektkonstellation»
Daniela Zimmer, Projekt nach Text «Collage City»
Heiner Gabele, Projekt nach Text «Objektkonstellation»

The Role of Construction

Our primary areas of research are closely related to the teaching of architecture. These include the human dwelling and the culture of living – themes of the 2nd year architectural design course – as well as problems of construction and form – themes of the 3rd and 4th year seminar entitled ‘Constructional Concepts in Modern Architecture’.

This research work, which is intended to compliment the 2nd year construction course at the ETH Zurich, focuses on the relation between construction and form in current Swiss architecture. The primary intention is to point out the important role which construction plays in the design process, and to exemplify the relationship of mutuality between constructional decisions and the architectural concept on which they depend. Results of a series of case studies are published in the form of building monographs augmented by annotated plan documentation, photographs and essays.

The third volume in the series is dedicated to the work of Gigon & Guyer, and deals with the problem of contemporary facade construction.

Konstruktive Konzepte der Moderne Marc Saugey Malagnou-Parc Genève 1948-51

Work includes research on the role of construction in Modern architecture (1920-1970) and the publication of a series of monographs, based on the analysis of significant case studies, including the Doldertal Houses (1931-1936) and Max Bill’s Home and Studio (1932/33). A book on the work produced in the course «Constructive Concepts in Modern Architecture» (with essays by A. Rüegg and B. Krucker) is in preparation for publication in the year 2000. Axonometrie: Ingrid Heitz

The Modern Home

The topic of the professorship’s general research is the culture of modern living, studied during a series of seminar excursions. The aim is to study, measure and draw to the same scale a series of seminal housing projects in order to show different developments.

In late 1999, a number of European minimal housing projects was published (Arthur Rüegg with Niklaus Lohri).

Another large project concerns the complete inventory and analysis of Le Corbusier’s interiors (1997–2000, Arthur Rüegg, in collaboration with the Fondation Le Corbusier Paris, drawings by Barbara Thommen). The publication of a complete monograph on this subject is foreseen in the long term. Contributions to exhibitions and catalogues are additional products of this research work (e.g. Immeuble Clarté, Mendrisio/Lausanne, 1999/ 2000).

Wohnkultur des 20. Jahrhunderts Walter Gropius Siedlung Dessau-Törten 1926–28

Planbearbeitung: Toni Wirth Niklaus Lohri

Other related areas of research also deal with the topic of interior design. In this context, the three volume edition on Le Corbusier’s ‘Polychromie architecturale’, edited in 1997 by Arthur Rüegg, has been published by Birkhäuser, as has the volume ‘Le Corbusier – René Burri/Magnum Photographs’ with texts by Arthur Rüegg and drawings, some by Barbara Thommen.

Both books were issued in 1999.

Commissioned by the ‘Good Goods’-Foundation, the product of this research will be an encyclopedia on Swiss interior design and furniture from 1900 to 2000. Conceived and edited by Arthur Rüegg, it will include texts by seven primary authors and many other co-authors. The catalogue will appear in collaboration with the Museum für Gestaltung, Zürich, and will be co-edited by the Swiss Society for Art History, Bern.

The work should be finished for the Expo.02 and will be presented in this exposition.

Contributions to other exhibitions will also stem from this work (Wohnbedarf Basel, 2000; Siedlung Neubühl, 2000).