Books by Heinz Wirz

Book SynopsisFlorian Nagler’s work is a veritable “recherche patiente”, as his buildings have an experimental character. For instance the “research buildings” in Bad Aibling are exercises on what building with wood, plastered brick and concrete can each mean. The Wohnen am Dantebad housing development reinterprets the traditional pergola. Text in English and German.

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Book SynopsisThe meticulously, carefully and solidly developed work by the London architects Daniel Rosbottom and David Howarth has continuously grown since 2000. Recent important buildings include the concert hall in Bodø (Norway), which has an outstandingly elegant and festive character, and the housing for the elderly in Aarschot, Belgium, which is intelligently integrated into the small-town structure. Text in English and German.

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Book SynopsisLukas Meyer and Ira Piattini have been operating from their architectural office in Lamone near Lugano since 1996. By now, they have produced an exciting, mature oeuvre that also represents a further development of the Ticino 'Tendenza'. Their great sophistication and the constant integration of poetic aspects have contributed to buildings such as the headquarters of Credit Suisse in Lamone, an administrative and a residential building in Lugano, an administrative building in Monte Carasso and the so-called cinque case in Barbengo. Text in English and German.

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Book SynopsisSince 2009, the two Basel architects Fabio Felippi and Thomas Wyssen have completed several fine buildings and conversions. They are precise structures that have been developed with extreme care out of themes such as structural presentation, conscious tectonics, typological clarity and a meticulous materialization that alternates between coarse qualities and elaborate surface treatment. Text in English and German.

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Book SynopsisIn 2000, a group of architects founded their office in Geneva. Since then - partly with changing personnel - they have continuously produced buildings in the Geneva-Lausanne region, often with experimental qualities. They include the 2018 GA building for the EPF Lausanne, and the CI residential tower in Meyrin, with an integrated private clinic. Text in English and French.

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Book SynopsisIn 2006, Anne Marie Wagner and Cédric Bachelard, with their Francophone and Western Swiss roots, founded their office in Basel. Since then, they have produced extremely high-quality buildings and residential developments. The new Mattenhof housing estate in Zurich-Schwamendingen is a particularly impressive example, its basic form consisting of an enormous meandering progression that creates elongated inner courtyards. Text in English, French and German.

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Book SynopsisFor over 20 years, an extremely lively and outstanding architectural scene has been thriving in South Tyrol. Gerd Bergmeister and Michaela Wolf have been one of its main protagonists from the very beginning. Their buildings are surprising, imaginative solutions that sound out the entire spectrum of architecture: the formation of space, shaping, construction, materialisation and integration into the Alpine context. Text in Italian and German.

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Book SynopsisIn 2003, the Sion-born architect Alain Wolff founded his architectural office in Lausanne. Since then, a number of remarkable buildings have been produced – mainly in rural areas. For instance the Ecole de la Verrerie is carefully integrated into the surroundings and impresses with its materialisation in wood and concrete. The arrangement of the classrooms and sports hall resembles a well-balanced organism. Text in English, German and French.

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Book SynopsisThe twin sisters Selma Mikou and Salwa Mikou founded their own Paris office in 2006 – after working for many years for Jean Nouvel and Renzo Piano. Each project primarily aims to liberate itself from preconceived forms in order to create original solutions that focus on the dimension of an emotional spatial experience. The architects have produced numerous prominent buildings in this way, including the Balsanéo Aquatics Center in Châteauroux (2021), which was developed as a dynamic figure that spans the boulevard like a bridge to overlook the unique landscape of the Indre region. Text in English and German.

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Book SynopsisCarlos Martinez has been running his architectural office in Berneck (Switzerland) for over 30 years. He made a name for himself through his collaboration with Pipilotti Rist entitled “roter Teppich von St. Gallen” (“red carpet of St. Gallen”), a wonderful urban-planning intervention that brings together the formerly haphazard conglomerate of remnant spaces and transport functions to create a homogeneous, identity-strengthening unity. His great energy and inventive engagement with the urban-planning context and its existing structures have led to numerous architectural projects that integrate themselves as powerful figures in the urban context and landscape. Text in English and German.

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Book SynopsisTom Munz established his St. Gallen office in 2013. Since then, he has produced a number of extremely high-quality buildings that are always developed with a special interest in structural and tectonic expression. For instance Wohnhaus Holzenstein in Romanshorn is a design inspired by Modernism, thriving on the interaction between reserved, beige-stained concrete wall surfaces and wooden window elements to achieve an extremely poetic radiance. Text in English and German.

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Book SynopsisChoi Wook is the founder and protagonist of the One O One office in Seoul, South Korea. Since 2000, he has been creating a number of architectural gems year after year that show clear affinities to Korean architectural traditions as well as to European architecture. Craftsmanship, precision in detail, material authenticity and impressive spatial creations are just some of the remarkable attributes of the 13 projects presented here. Text in English and Korean.Table of ContentsTUH: ATTITUDE TO INTERPRETING THE GROUND 7 ROOM OF QUIET CONTEMPLATION, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA, SEOUL 28 JAGEUNZIP: HOUSE FOR SMALL LIVING, JINCHEON 36 SULLOC HYANGSIL, JEJU 46 HOUSE WITH CHUKDAE, SEOUL 56 SEONGBUK-DONG HOUSE, SEOUL 68 GENESIS LOUNGE, SHILLA HOTEL, SEOUL 80 GAHOE-DONG DUZIP, SEOUL 88 GAHOE-DONG NEZIP, SEOUL 100 F1963 YUPZIP, BUSAN 122 1964 BUILDING, SEOUL 132 HYUNDAI CARD YEONGDEUNGPO OFFICE, SEOUL 144 GAPADO ISLAND PROJECT, JEJU 154 THE TUH OF UIJEONGBU, SEOUL 166 LIST OF WORKS 173 BIOGRAPHIES, TEAM, AWARDS, EXHIBITIONS, BIBLIOGRAPHY 177

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Book SynopsisFor Zurich architect Stefan Wülser, architecture is not reduced to the craft of designing and implementing the design, but also involves thinking about its socio-cultural significance in contemporary society. With the house in Bassersdorf, for example, he developed a programmatic building that rises above an existing supporting structure in a direct, bricollage-like construction that is gestural and expressive. With an article by Tibor Joanelly. Text in English and German.

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Book SynopsisBenedikt Rigling, René Bosshard and Matthias Baumann are the founders of Masswerk Architekten, which has been based in Lucerne since 2003 and in Zurich since 2008. In addition to residential buildings, a number of public buildings have been created over the years – in particular school buildings, retirement centres and municipal facilities – which are characterised by a broad architectural repertoire and meticulous design work. Two residential buildings in the middle of a city park in Lucerne appear sculptural in their reduced structures, with floor plans fitted intelligently and naturally into the building volumes. The Baufeld G complex on Europaallee in Zurich, a significant urban development, inscribes itself unobtrusively in the cityscape with its rhythmic façades. To be completed in 2021, the Burghalde secondary school centre in Baden will accommodate 1,000 pupils in a historic park setting with protected buildings. With an article by Karl R. Kegler. Text in English and German.

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Book Synopsissoppelsa Architekten focuses on the relationship between spaces – their qualities, materialisation, proportions and light guidance – and the project programme. Already in the early years after founding their office in 2012, the brothers Mario and Nino Soppelsa managed to apply that approach in a number of competition successes. In 2015, the semi-detached house in Esslingen was their first constructed project. However, their work is not limited to housing and also includes successful projects on all scales: their Hagmannareal Winterthur-Seen residential estate has won several awards, while their newly constructed Oberrüti double sports hall was included in the list of Best Architects 2023. Text in English and German.

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Book SynopsisDesigns by the Geneva-based practice dl-a combine innovation with aesthetics. Through its multidisciplinary approach, the team led by Vincent Mas Durbec, Inès Lamunière and Afonso Ponces de Serpa produces spaces that reflect the zeitgeist, while remaining timeless, taking a stance and yet organically merging with the surroundings. For instance the Agroscope in Nyon uses innovative architecture to create an inspirational research facility, its silhouette and colour scheme entering into a dialogue with the landscape.Text in English and German.

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