Switzerland: A Guide to Recent Architecture

While the Swiss have the reputation of being reluctant to push ahead and of being skeptical of the new, the past two decades have seen an extraordinary number of innovative buildings realized by a generation of young architects. Reacting against the light-hearted and colorful imagery of post-modernism, the fragmentation of deconstructivism, and the accelerating fashion in styles of building, architects are looking towards a more generic architecture, an architecture searching for articulation devoid of predetermined formal meanings - without style. The minimalist 'box', so often associated with Switzerland, is one way to break with convention and Switzerland finds itself in the center of international architectural attention today. Far from being exhaustive, the selection of projects in this guide aims to provide an insight into around 100 projects with access for visitors. Many of the projects are located far from the bustle of cities, making it easy to combine a skiing or hiking holiday with an architectural excursion - Switzerland has a finely tuned tourist industry. Those not entirely satisfied by the architecture will have the consolation of the stunning landscapes.