NRP 81 Seminar Series 2026 Baukultur: A Swiss Genealogy Session V

© Fabio Chironi

The importance of designed landscapes for Baukultur in Switzerland

Start01.06.2026 16:00
End01.06.2026 17:30
VenueZHAW, Tössfeldstrasse 11, 8401 Winterthur
Hall 180, Room MD E0.21
Registration deadline31.05.2026

After developing a deeper understanding of Baukultur roots in the different European countries, the second Seminar Series is dedicated to “themes” and “periods” that have characterised the Swiss practice and debate.

In the history of architecture, landscapes determined the location and the form of settlements. There is no such thing as Baukultur without landscapes. For the past century, Swiss architecture and landscape architecture have been closely intertwined and recognized world-wide for their quality, innovation, sensitivity to place, material culture, and plant life. Swiss thinkers and designers have always made it clear that landscape may never be reduced to a surrounding for buildings and landscape architects must not considered as their simple beautifiers. Together with Georges Descombes, Anette Freytag and Annemarie Bucher, we explore the genealogy of landscape architecture in Switzerland and what Swiss ness means in this context.

The presentations will be held in English – in presence and online. Please subscribe for the live stream here:

Programme

Welcome and introduction
Andri Gerber, Professor at ZHAW and member of the Steering Committee of NRP 81
Invited talk by
Anette Freytag, Professor at Rutgers University, New Brunswick (USA); Georges Descombes, Landscape architect, Geneva; Annemarie Bucher, Senior lecturer at Zurich University of the Arts and at ETH Zurich
Questions & answers