«Architecture Matters»: 21 projects supported in a remarkably successful call for applications.
Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia supported 21 projects from all over Switzerland. Projects were selected by a jury from over 150 highly diverse submissions. The thematic and formal variety of the proposals reflects the remarkable liveliness and creativity of Swiss architecture.
Launched by Pro Helvetia in August 2020, in response to the postponement of the Venice Biennale of Architecture due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the exceptional call for applications «Architecture Matters» aimed to strengthen reflection and discourse on contemporary architectural creation. The call was successful both in terms of quantity — with over 150 submitted projects – and in terms of quality. Project themes were particularly diverse, ranging from contemporary social issues (ecology, sustainability, gender equality) to more classical domains (outreach projects on urban planning, landscape architecture, etc.).
Selected on the recommendation of a jury, the 21 supported projects include reflections on migration (the «inclusive city» of the Architecture for Refugees association), a celebration of 50 years of women’s voting rights in Switzerland (the «FrauMünsterhof» installation of l’association créatrices.ch) and the possibility for the different regions of Switzerland to engage in architectural dialogue («S AM TV», the mobile television studio of the S AM Architecture Museum).
The selected projects include different formats: publications, films, research and educational projects (for children and young people), physical and digital exchange platforms, temporary installations, and events.
Submissions came from all language regions of Switzerland, as well as from urban and rural contexts.
«Our call for applications Architecture Matters was very well received. The quality of the submitted projects attests to high-level theoretical reflection, awareness of the challenges of our time, and the creativity of the Swiss architectural scene. Pro Helvetia intends to continue to promote reflection on architecture and to support projects that take account of the social and artistic role of contemporary architecture», said Madeleine Schuppli, Head of the Visual Arts Division at Pro Helvetia.
Total funding for «Architecture Matters» amounted to CHF 350,000. Project funding ranged between CHF 10,000 and 25,000.
The 21 funded projects:
- Aidec, Genève (Jérôme Mallon); ConstructLab, Fribourg (Agnès Collaud): «Jonction»
- Architecture for Refugees SCHWEIZ, Zürich (Matthias Alder, Sarah Basyouny, Bence Komlósi): «Inklusion macht Architektur»
- «La Biennale svizzera del territorio: un progetto collettivo di mediazione culturale», Lugano (Ludovica Molo, Caspar Schärer, Cyril Veillon, Ariane Widmer Pham, Luca Crosta)
- Cities Connection Project, CCP 06 (Nicola Regusci): «Expo Export Basel / Import Wallonie Bruxelles. Lieux de vie partagés »
- CREACUMÜN, Ftan (Viviane Ehrensberger, Riet Fanzun, Tinetta Rauch, Christof Rösch, Adriana Stuppan): «Baukulturvermittlung im Unterengadin»
- créatrices.ch, Zürich (Sandra König, Henriette Lutz, Stefi Spinas): «FrauMünsterhof»
- Léman Architectures Connexions, Lausanne (Manuel Bieler, Héloïse Gailing, Matthieu Jaccard): «LAC 20-21, promenades exploratoires autour du Léman»
- Never Stop Reading; Park Books, Zürich: «Architekturbuch-Festival»
- Open Doors Engadin Bergell, Maloja (Christoph Oggenfuss, Raphael Karrer): «Open Doors Engadin Bergell 2021»
- Rethink Materials Kollektiv. Zürich (Corinne Lopez): «Es ist alles da!»
- Triest Verlag, Zürich (Andrea Wiegelmann, Kerstin Forster); Architektur Forum Ostschweiz, St. Gallen (Rico Lauper, Thomas Eugster, Johanna Deinert, Marion Pohlke); Swiss Architects (Elias Baumgarten): «Gutes Bauen Ostschweiz – unterwegs»
- Ville en tête (Katell Mallédan), Théâtre de Vidy, Lausanne (Astrid Lavanderos): «Habitats rêvés»
- ZAZ Zentrum Architektur Zürich (Corina Hösli, Maya Kägi Götz, Evelyn Steiner): «create & debate Vermittlungswerkstatt im ZAZ»
- Hochparterre, Zürich (Marcel Bächtiger, Jonathan Jäggi, Palle Petersen): «Ir Ysebahn: Architekturkritik im Film»
- S AM Schweizerisches Architekturmuseum, Basel (Andreas Ruby, Andreas Kofler, Yuma Shinohara u.a.): «S AM TV»
- Fédération Suisse des Architectes Paysagistes BSLA, La Chaux-de-Fonds: «anthos – Jahrbuch Schweizer Landschaftsarchitektur»
- KARTON, Ebikon (Kunz Gerold): «Architektur im Alltag der Zentralschweiz»
- werk, bauen + wohnen, Zürich (Roland Züger): «Debatte – Buchreihe zur Baukultur»
- BUREAU, Genève (Daniel Zamarbide, Galliane Zamarbide, Carine Pimenta), Association Bermuda, Sergy (FR): «THERESE»
- Naïri Arzoumanian Rumin, Daphné Bengoa, Belfaux: «Entre deux. L’habitat à l’épreuve du confinement»
- Urban Equipe, Zürich (Antonia Steger): «Prototypen»
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Photo: © Architecture for Refugees SCHWEIZ
