S AM Schweizerisches Architekturmuseum
Andreas Kofler, Andreas Ruby (ed.)
Ungebaute Architektur in der Schweiz/Unbuilt Architecture in Switzerland
December 2023, 358 pages, 275 Illustrations, softcover, with open thread stitching, 22 x 28 cm, German/English
ISBN 978-3-85616-997-8
Was wäre wenn/What if
More than 25 building projects never implemented in Switzerland over the past one hundred years
With essays by Anneke Abhelakh, Katinka Corts-Münzner, Marc Frochaux, Andreas Kofler, Andreas Ruby, Sibylle Wälty and others
Exhibition at the S AM Swiss Architecture Museum: 24 November 2023 to 7 April 2024
When it comes to matters related to architecture and urban planning, few other countries grant their population such a far-reaching democratic right of co-determination as Switzerland. This facilitates both a societal acceptance of architecture that is unique worldwide, and the constant prevention of projects, including some quite notable ones.
Such projects, often developed with much blood, sweat and tears but then not implemented, are part and parcel of everyday life at architectural firms, even those spoiled by success. Be they lost, rejected, stalled or altered: a host of architectural designs exist that are still talked about today despite the fact that they were never implemented.
For the exhibition Was wäre wenn/ What if, the S AM, together with 25 architectural institutions from all over the country, has made a representative selection from this sheer endless stock of projects.
About the autors:
Andreas Kofler (*1978) is as architect and curator, as well as deputy artistic director at the S AM Schweizerisches Architekturmuseum.
Andreas Ruby (*1966) is an architectural journalist, curator and book publisher, and since 2016 Director of the S AM Schweizerisches Architekturmuseum.