HOSOYA SCHAEFER Architects (Part III) - Partnership Smartinska in Ljubljana

Well Hosoya Schaefer Architects have done it again: Only within a few weeks since the office last announced they won the competition of the Engadin Airport, now they have won the competition for a masterplan in Ljubljana, Slovenia (EU).

Read the press release:

"HOSOYA SCHAEFER ARCHITECTS win 1st prize in the urban design competition “Partnership Smartinska” in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

May 5, 2008:
The Chamber of Architecture and Spatial Planning of Slovenia (ZAPS) has announced that Hosoya Schaefer Architects won the first prize in the urban design competition “Partnership Šmartinska”. The task was to create a masterplan for the redevelopment of 230 ha in Ljubljana. This strategically important site in Ljubljana stretches from the central railway station to the highway ring and, among other areas, includes BTC City, one of the largest retail developments in Europe. The winning proposal was developed in collaboration with Space Syntax, London and Wüest & Partner, Zürich.

At the heart of the proposal is a triangular central park of 7.4 ha. On its north side a new boulevard transverses the entire site. It is the infrastructural backbone and main organizing element of the redevelopment area and connects it to the central station and the city center. While it is to long for pedestrian flows over its entirety, it contains areas of interest that induce pedestrian traffic: The BTC Boulevard is the pedestrian axis for the BTC retail area with BTC Plaza as its main focus. The proposed Central Park is the green heart of the entire redevelopment area. Kolinska Square is the new entrance to the quarter and acts as a cultural and commercial attractor drawing visitors both from the center and the surrounding neighborhoods. Larger distances can be traveled by tram that runs on the boulevard from the central train station to the outer ring.

The proposal is based on two different urban patterns and their associated functions: the extension of the city fabric with the clarity, accessibility, flexible program mix and long life cycle of its main typology the perimeter block; and the extension of the BTC area with its generous spaces, large volumes, ease of movement (albeit at the moment mostly by car) and shorter building life cycles with high commercial returns. The proposal aims to strengthen the existing qualities of the two patterns and connect them to a larger whole. It allows for mixed use on large and small scales and the subsequent development of urbanity around a variety of new places and program clusters.

Principles of sustainable urban development have been applied both on the level of spatial layout as well as infrastructure and have been proposed for building requirements. The phasing strategy proposed implements the strategic elements first. Various scenarios can unfold and the typologies proposed are flexible. The plan can also be operative when only executed in parts as long as the urban network and armature are implemented.

About HOSOYA SCHAEFER ARCHITECTS

HOSOYA SCHAEFER ARCHITECTS is an international practice for contemporary architecture, strategies and research based in Zürich, Switzerland. Hiromi Hosoya and Markus Schaefer founded the firm in 2003. The firm won a ContractWorld Award 2008 for their first realized project, a restaurant built for Autostadt, the theme park and communications platform for the Volkswagen Group in Wolfsburg, Germany. Recently, it won the first prize in the competition for the new airport building at St. Moritz – Samedan in Switzerland.

Current projects of the firm include a new building for the La Rinascente department store (14,000 m2) and an office building for Risanamento Spa (27,000 m2) in Milano Santa Giulia in Italy. Both Hiromi Hosoya and Markus Schaefer are currently professors at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, Austria."

End of press release.

This sounds very interesting and of course we are curious to see more images and plans of the scheme also to be enabled to make an opinion for ourselves of the project. Nonetheless there are two things I should mention. Firstly Hosoya Schaefer Architects teaming up with Space Syntax and Wüest und Partner, two consulting companies. Space Syntax developed at the University College in London a "computer-based modelling technique to treat cities and buildings ‘space first’, that is as the network of spaces we use and move through." (1) This seems to be like a more detailed and localized version of the MVRDV Regionmaker. Wüest und Partner on the otherhand, a rather huge player in real estate onsultancy in Switzerland with lot's of know-how particulary regarding estimation and developemt of and on the economics of viable real-estate, residential and multi-use (sounds like a tag-line). These partners and the press release might suggest a very pragmatic and differentiated approach on structuring such a huge site to garner a certain critical size.
The other interesting aspect is, that Hosoya Schaefer Architects, particularly Markus Schaefer, are no strangers to Ljubljana. He has tought together with Marijn Spoelstra a research and project semester on Ljubljana at the Berlage Institute in 2006/7 called "Light Capital: Urban Scripts for Ljubljana" (find a description here) which was also featured at the Venice Biennale.


Images © HOSOYA SCHAEFER Architects,
More Images and info, with project credits: here

Topkapi Seraiye

Some fish on Pera

Sinan in Edirne

Yahoo moves European base to Switzerland

Zurich has the European headquarter of Google and the region of Geneva will have the new European headquarter of Yahoo.
Who's next?
via

btw: sfr is now of higher value than $...

iPHONE mit SWISSCOM am 4. April

"It simply announces what Swiss residents have been waiting for a long time already: the iPhone will be available in Switzerland from April 4th exclusively via Swisscom. To celebrate this announcement, the historical Swiss telecom company will also change its logo the same day."
via

morphing (nano) cellphones - nokia research

HOSOYA SCHAEFER Architects (Part II) - Engadin Airport

On February 12th it was announced that HOSOYA SCHAEFER Architects have won the first prize in the competition to design the new buildings for the Engadin Airport near St. Moritz. The competition was started last year and should satisfy the need of a growing airport, which is highest situated in Europe with 1707 (5600ft), for improvements and reorganization of it's infrastructure. The current airport was bought by the Canton Graubünden from the Army in 2004 and was consequently transformed into a civilian airport. Topping 17'000 flight movements a year, this airport has established itself as an important infrastructure to the remote region in the Swiss Alps. Stationed here are gliders, helicopters and five airlines that offer charter flights to Europe and elsewhere. But probably the most important effect this airport has for its region is the possibility that guests get high accessibility to the luxurious residencies, hotels and ski-resorts of the famous vacationing spot of St. Moritz. This region that heavily depends upon tourism, has gone to great lengths to expand offers to the high class segment, which this extension and redevelopment of the airport marks the peak so far.



About the project
(quoted from the press release)
In addition to operational facilities, the program includes a large restaurant, a hotel, facilities for events and hangars for aircrafts, helicopters and gliders.
The winning project titled “Sungate” proposes a monolithic building that combines all the different functions into one long shape creating a clear edge to the airfield. In the center of the building the hangar for aircrafts is combined with a large three-storey high lobby space creating a generous light filled gate mediating between the airfield and the valley. The lobby acts as a programmatic hinge that
allows for combining the different areas of the building into multiple scenarios of use. Thermal solar collectors on the roof over the hangar are feeding large water tanks that store solar energy while the building itself is built as a light construction, a hybrid structure combining aluminum and wood. With
the addition of a wood pellet furnace, the building is planned to be heated to 100% by renewable energy. With a large south-oriented terrace, various additional functions and the central lobby, the airport will become a destination for locals and international guests alike. The design was developed in collaboration with Mitsuhiro Kanada / Arup London for structure and Waldhauser Haustechnik AG,
Basel for MEP services.



What the jury had to say
(quoted and translated from the press release)
The exterior of the main building is convincing through its restraint and timeless elegance. The generous and centrally located foyer and lobby creates a gateway to the Engadin, not only for the village of Samedan but also for the arrival hall for the passangers. A transparent façade underlines the experience of aviation for the passangers and visitors alike. The capable organization of the single elements of the building allows adjustments for seasonal fluctuations in occupancy and passanger count due to a flexible spatial concept, the interior can adapt to the necessities of the offered services.



Conclusion
Obviously designing an airport offers certain challenges beyond the programmatic requirements due to the fact that additional to bulding codes, the airport has to adhere to whole different set of rules, those of the federal aviation agency (BAZL - Bundesamt für Zivilluftfahrt). Those constraints have limited the placement of a new building for the Engadin Airport, which is supposed to replace the old hangars and buildings, some still from the time this was an army airport.
This begs the question how to combine hangars, arrival and departure halls, and other programm parts? The result is as obvious as it is logic at the same time, a horizontal slab with programmatic segments. The simplicity of this diagram might be striking in it's clear structuring, the architectural representation however would create real challange in order to accomodate all the beforehand mentioned.
From my point of view, nowadays a common concept for airports is that the public areas and buildings are either designed or covered under an appealing skin that wraps around the vast open spaces that first Norman Fosters' Stansted Airport near London declared and defined almost 20 years ago as the quasi-standard of airport design. As a byproduct these sometimes beautiful boxes have some less appealing siblings that house functional elements for an airport, such as technology, hangars or various other elements, that are efficiently organized but not necessarily designed. An exception in Switzerland might be the new Terminal E by AGPS and the adjacent utility building that features a wooden cladding and it's height is declining to signify a change in what is stored inside, however the two buildings are still separated.
My point would be that the proposal by HOSOYA SCHAEFER Architects was able to include representational elements of the design along with functional parts and distribute them under a combining roof. In this case the roof is a structure that defines the upper thickness of this "modernistic slab", which OMA is using recently but only figuratively. This structure which allows the different functional and programmatic parts to be connected with, was again developed like on the previous project I featured on dialog, in collaboration with Mitsuhiro Kanada of ARUP in London.
What is striking is the sectional melange of the aforementioned diagram, where the structure that covers the hangars is activated on top with a visitors terrace. This physical overlapping of the program is also enhanced by the semi-transparent façade that wraps around the more technical spaces and the public spaces alike.
The gorgeous renderings are certainly very seductive, but the also show this often contradicting desire to reveal the inside towards the outside and at the same time open it self, in this case towards the panorama of the Swiss alps.
Since such small airports function often differently than larger solely commercial airports, the building has to adapt accordingly, which also means to the certainly important high-end clientèle which I mentioned above. Thus the airport as itself is not only a built diagram but also a designed environment that as to have a lounge-like appeal but at the same time feel much more spacier and has to live up to the different user identification with the airplanes.
I think this proposal is rather successful in creating this inviting and friendly atmosphere, yet meet the expected demureness of this region. The gesture is clear and clean but offers the unexpected. It might actually live up to the high expectations, I am certainly already saving for my first "flight" to the Engadin.

Images © HOSOYA SCHAEFER Architects,
More Images and info, with project credits: here
Press Release of the Airport Engadin: here (doc)
Project Text of HOSOYA SCHAEFER Architects: here (pdf)

HOSOYA SCHAEFER Architects (Part I) - Stadtraum HB Baufeld E

Last year the city of Zurich approved a masterplan by Kees Christianse of KCAP for the so called Stadtraum HB, a redevelopment plan of an area behind the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) in the center of Zurich. Most of the buildings belong to the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and have been included with some adjacent parts, along the former post building. The total area of 78'000m2 will be transformed into a mixed-use neighboorhood with 400 apartments and approximately 5000 will be working there in future. Additionally some 2000 students of the PHZ (College of Education) will be situated there.
There are nine lots and for each a competition is held. According to the masterplan this current lot "E" (Baufeld E) has to have a minimum of 40% housing and can have a maximum of 40m height.

The image above is one of the projects of the competition for the lot "E" and was designed by HOSOYA SCHAEFER Architects.
They say the following on their website about their project:
"The proposal layers the functions horizontally resulting in deep floor slabs that are lit with internal courts and light wells. Since all the layers have different spatial and structural requirements a flexible hexagonal module has been adopted. Each hexagon is supported by three “ribbon columns” that can change orientation relative to the module and move from corner to corner. This allows for smooth adjustments between floors without expensive and inefficient transfer structure. In the front area of the building the ribbon columns run diagonally through the floors and together with vertical tension rods for a large truss supporting the cantilevered front of the building.
The three housing types are separated by roof gardens providing a variety of spaces, public and private, on the upper floors."



I had to share with you the two gorgeous images and on their website you can find more and some plans of the project. Admittedly I have worked in this office for a short while, unfortunately not on this project though. I haven't seen the results of the competition yet and to date I was not able to find out when they are being published, however I think it's worth looking at this project for instance, because it offers a rather fresh approach on the constraints, programatical and formal, that are imposed by the competition or the rather conservative architectural establishment in Zurich. It makes you wonder, how to be expressive without appearing so, in a sense subversive.
This project is based on a cell-like structure that horizontally organizes space (and program) and vertically works to load bearing. The huge cantilever is ARUP approved and creates a covered urban square. Admittedly the images look are seductive, what I can't find out, due to lack of material available on the project so far, is the distribution of the program. I assume the housing is located on the building's south side while the north side, the base and lower parts of the building are offices. From south the building appears to break down into multiple parts while it maintains a visually dominant and representational head on the north side, along with it's public program.
As much as I like the images, the real problem here is, that the surrounding lot's either had or will have competitions for future buildings, but mostly they haven't been defined yet, therefore there is no real context to this project. It is confined to function within strict rules, but imposed by the master plan and it's interior organization.
Final judgment therefore is nearly impossible, however I hope the winning project for the lot "E" in this case will be equally progressive with it's proposed architecture, as this building suggests it might be.

Images © HOSOYA SCHAEFER Architects,
Images and plans: here
Masterplan (PDF in German): here

Architecture in Europe - Overview Pt. 2

Here a map of the various sites I will feature in the upcoming posts.

View Larger Map

Architecture in Europe - Overview Pt.1

Over the course of the next few days I will finally resume my posting. The emphasis of this batch of posts is new and contemporary architecture around Europe and especially in Switzerland. I have plethora of new images which I would like to share with my readers.
Take with me a tour of Chur and see some interesting redevelopment near the train station in the city center, which has completely changed during the last five years. An exclusive tour of the House Gartmann will show you how one can build a house with only concrete and no insulation!

Then we will go further down the Rhine to the shores of the Lake Constance where one can find an excellent example of how swiss architects are trying to go beyond the typical box.

Similar, who knows, but certainly equally expressive in it's form is the new Agora by UN-Studio. I was able to get some images of this new building which one can find within a rather peculiar setting.

Talking about form and contemporary new public places, we have to consider the critically acclaimed Casa de Musica by OMA. I think you will be able to get a very good glimpse by the dozens of images I was able to shoot, why this building finds acceptance even between the more classical architects.

Another interesting building is the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, it attracts thousands of visitors each day, including myself late last year. We shall examine why this is probably one of the most successful UN-Studio buildings so far.

Also at the Lake Constance, but in Austria we find the famed Kunsthaus by Peter Zumthor. Recently there was an exhibit on his work with huge models that one could even enter.

Going back to Switzerland we have to look at the recent installation by Olafur Eliassion and how he yet again attacked the notion of a house and it's particular interiority.

After finally revisting my birth place I would like to share some gorgeous images of modernist church near the Lake Lucerne.

Last but not least, we will go to Basel and it's sourroundings to admire some of the work of Herzog & De Meuron.

Finally we will try to understand the shift of the formal vocabulary in the work of Herzog & De Meuron which was most probably consummated in last years and eventually reached their home town in a mysterious manifestation: a yet unpublished house.

Naturally there is much more to see, images, observations and some other very special features to look forward to.

SC

revamp

I will resume my work as architectural blogger shortly. please expect a revamp and more content soon.

Norman Foster's Bejing International AIrport

© CNN International.

Hey Iran, what are you doing?

Previously while watching news on CNN, they aired a piece of the Daily Show's Jon Stewart on the Iranian Hostage Crisis:
"Hey Iran, what are you doing? Hey Iran do you know how hard we're working to keep President Bombs-A-Lot from throwing down on you?..."
Via: iFilm
Related: news

Olten will hoch hinaus...

In dem Buch von Avenir Suisse und Angelus Eisinger Stadtland Schweiz konnte man 2003 einige interessante Visionen formuliert von MVRDV finden. Darunter eine über die Stadt Olten als erweiterten Infrastruktur Hub für die Schweiz mit einem riesigen Autobahnkreuz und integriertem Konglomerat von Hochhäusern, in der Mitte der Schweiz, mit bestem Anschluss nach Bern, Basel und Zürich. Nun scheinen gewisse Leute dies durchaus ernst zunehmen und planen gemäss Pressekonferenz von heute tatsächlich ein Hochhaus in Olten und zwar über 32 STockwerke und 110 Meter. Der Nutzungsmix enthält Wohnungen und Dienstleistung über 17'000m2. Die oben erwähnte Immobilienfirma spannt hierfür mit dem ortsansässigen Architekten Massimo Hauswirth und der Wirtschaftsförderung zusammen, es solle "zukunftsweisend sein für die Stadtentwicklung" (...) in Olten.
Nun nachdem Zürich einen neuen Turm erhalten wird von Gigon Guyer und Basel von Herzog & De Meuron und nach letzterem wäre der Oltener Turm auch der zweit höchste der Schweiz. Städtebaulich mag das ganze durchaus interesant sein, doch architektonisch kann das Oltener Projekt kaum mithalten, ja ich würde sogar sagen, dass es sich um einen völligen fehlgriff handelt. Das Gebäude erscheint als ein zu kurz geratener Verschnitt vonI. M. Pei's Bank of China.
Schade eigentlich, denn in der Schweiz sind Landreserven rar und vielerorts ist eine Nachverdichtung von städtischem Gefüge äusserst angebracht. Doch man solle nicht den Fehler wie in den USA machen und solche Projekte als reine Spekulationsobjekte ohne architektonischen Mehrwert verwirklichen.
Deswegen hoffe ich sehr, falls das Projekt grünes Licht erhalten sollte, dass ein gewisse Überarbeitung durchgeführt wird.
via: NZZ Online, Pressemitteilung Giroud Olma (PDF)

München part I, the fine Arts.

Three weeks ago I visited a friend of mine who works as an intern at BMW, inside the four-cylinder building - right. While there we took some time and visited three exhibitions, two at the Pinakothek der Moderne and one at the Haus der Kunst.
The latter is exhibiting the work of Andreas Gursky, probably one of the most important living photographers, in the first big presentation of his work after the famous show at the MOMA in New York 2001. Gurski's composed and digitally often altered photographs depict profane objects or places sometimes absolutely deserted or cramped with people. His Diptychon of the 99-Cent-Store got auctioned in November 2006 for $2.4M. His ocumentary style is presented on large-scale prints where one can observe some elements of his photograph form a larger structure, like the formula 1 track of Bahrain (pictured above) that looks like a painting rather then a photograph. At the same time you can emerge yourself into the richness of details, like small F1-race cars or the faces of the actors in the immense parades in Pyongyang. These images from North Korea of the parades for it's dictator are some of Gursky's most recent work. They do show the orchestrated grand imagery as the result of the (probably forced) obedience of the people that participate at those large parades, but on a second look one recognizes faces. The anonymity fades and you witness single fates of the opressed. Gursky mostly photogrpahs from an hightened place, even helicopter, to create a view that is challenging in it's originality and form.
Andreas Gursky at the "Haus der Kunst", until May 13th, further info.


The second Exhibtion I visited is a retrospective on Dan Flavin (1933-1996), which is the first of it's kind in Germany. Flavin who concentrated himself on developing and creating artistic representation with and on light, became one of the leading figures of modern minimal and conceptual art. The retrospective features 24 of his "monuments for V. Tatlin" and his initial work of the eight "icons", his earliest experiments with artificial light. Another highlight is the reconstruction of a show from 1968 that was exhibited at the gallery of Heiner Friedrich. The "untitled (to you, Heiner, with admiration and affection)" (pictured above) from 1973 on Flavin's barrier subject is dedicated to that gallerist who was a supporter and friend of Flavin. That piece is formed by small modules, adapting itself to the exhibition room and radiate a stark greenish colour. This barrier thematizes the relation of the space of the observer and the observed space, although one might seem immersed into the art, there is still a part one cannot reach to.
This retrospective was organized by the Dia Art Foundation and the National Gallery in Washington DC and Munich is the last stop of a tour through various museums.
Dan Flavin | Retrospective at the "Pinakothek der Moderne", the show is extended until April 8th, further info.


The third exhibition, also at the Pinakothek der Moderne, is unfortunately already over. It was called "Architektur wie sie im Buche steht" (Architecture as it is written in books) and displayed various representations of Architecture in books, comic magazines or fairytales. Some utopian creations of cities from "Wir" by Jewgeni Samjatin to Italo Calvino's cities were interpreted by architecture students in some small models that accopany the exhibition. The image above is the work from Andi Gerber, an architect in Zurich and PhD candidate at the ETH. This model, which was produced along his PhD thesis on textual representation of cities and the city as text, is a layering of such representations along one of his poems merging to a rhizomatic whole.
The catalog, which is rather a book, on the subject is a profound collection of texts reffering to the exhibition and thouroughly extending it. A fine reader that is unfortunately only available in German.

Kerez at Leutschenbach

Just at the gates to Zurich next to the train tracks to Winterthur in Leutschenbach a new public school is under construction. Christian Kerez participated at a competition 2003 for this school building and got a second place, after the revision his proposal was recommended for realization. Probably the most daring part of the project is the gymnasium (Trunhalle) on the fifth floor, not where you usually think you would find one. Each level host a corresponding grades and the outside balconies and stairs can be used as emergency routes allows the interior hallways be used for school purposes and related functions.
The jury apparently applauded the buildings strong presence and signal-like effect, at night the gym shines like a signal above Zurich North.
Further reading:
An article just after the competition, Tec21.pdf.
A newsletter from the City of Zurich about the development in Leutschenbach, dated March 2006, Leutschenbach Development.pdf.
More images in my Swiss Architects flickr-set.

Vacheron Constatin HQ by Tschumi

Just recently I went to Geneva and visited en route Vacheron Constatin, a luxury watch manufacturer. Pictured you see their new headquarter that was finished 2004, after Bernard Tschumi won the competition 2001.
It's basically a single-surface metal (probably steel) envelope that wraps around the head-offices and the production parts in one single gesture.
What is interesting, the parking of either side is connected below the thinner production part of the building, which bridges it actually. I wasn't able to see whether delivery docks are situated below (tucked away notably) since the security got a little nervous about me taking pictures of the building.
However, check out some further exterior shots in my new Geneva set.

Kerez wins Warsaw Museum of Modern Art competition

MoMA competition Warsaw, © Christian Kerez
Originally uploaded by scisar.

Yesterday at an official event in Warsaw the winner of the architecture competition for the museum of modern art in Warsaw has been announced. Christian Kerez, Assistant Professor at the ETH and Architect based in Zürich was awarded the first prize. Daniel Libeskind, a juror of the competition, presented the winner and his modest L-shaped building with a wavy roof.
The future museum will be erected next to the Culture and Science Palace in the center of Warsaw. According to Libeskind the proposal fits well into the neighboorhood of the palace, which was built in a Stalinist style, despite being an avantgarde project. The museum is scheduled to be opened 2010.

Images | via: e-warsaw.pl, museumcompetition.pl, Argauer Zeitung Online
Thanks to Stephan.

Schweizer Architekturzeitschriften und Newsanbieter

2005 startete Stefan Kurath und sein Büronetzwerk UrbaNplus eine Newsletter Aktion namens urban_plus_news.
In fast schon bester Guerilla-Advertisment Manier versandte er E-Mails an Büro's von Architektinnen und Architekten die er kannte. Das UrbaNplus-Newsletter war so ausgelegt, dass man es gerne weiterversenden sollte und gespiesen wurde es von verschiedenen Imputs durch Kolleginnen und Kollegen die gerne auf eines Ihrer neuen Bauten aufmerksam machen wollten, eine Einweihung eines Projektes oder einer Austellung nun das Spektrum war breit gefächert. Mir schien die ganze Aktion schien ziemlich gut anzukommen, im Endeffekt eigentlich ein P2P(Peer to Peer)-Informationssystem für Architektinnen und Architekten. Zum Glück für Stefan und leider für uns Benutzer und Leser, hatte er immer mehr zu tun in seinem Büro und die anfänglich monatlichen Neuigkeiten wurden immer weniger bis sie schliesslich Mitte August 2006 versiegten. Das Büro durfte überhand nhemen, deswegen lässt sich nur hoffen dass er bald vielleicht einen Praktikanten einstellt um die News weiterzuführen ;-)

Letze Woche nun habe ich mich für dene neuen Newsletter der Swiss-Architects-Seite eingeschrieben. Swiss-Architects ist eine Platform für Architektinnen und Architekten sowie deren Büros um sich online präsentieren zu können, mittlerweile gibt es auch Ableger in der ganzen Welt doch geführt wird die Seite und die "Spin-Offs" von den PSA-Publishers in Zürich.
Nun ich weiss nicht so recht was ich erwartet habe von diesem Newsletter, die Idee für einen solchen ist wahrlich nicht neu (siehe weiter oben) und die Seite von Swiss-Architects war nun auch nicht bekannt als eine News-Seite (oder doch?).
Was mich allerdings aufhorchen liess war dass es in Zusammenarbeit mit Hochparterre enstehen wird und, dass Inge Beckel mit an Bord dieses Newsletter sein sollte als "editorin".
Inge, eine gestandene Redakteurin bei Tec21 sowie Verfasserin vieler Artikel die in diversen Schweizer Architekturzeitschriften abgedruckt wurden, sollte als einen gewissen Standard setzen und in meinen Augen auch das redaktionelle Rückgrat bilden. Wenn man beispielsweise einen Blick wirft ins Impressum von Marc Angélil's neues Buch Indizien, wird man merken dass sie keine unerhebliche Mitarbeit daran geleistet hat.

Soweit so gut, doch als ich die gestrige Ausgabe dieses Swiss-Architects-Newsletters erhalten habe, war ich doch etwas überrascht über einen Artikel von Axel Simon über die vier führenden Architekturzeitschriften der Schweiz. Um die Liste auch nun hier nochmals zu erwähnen, er listete das "Hochparterre", "Tec21", "Werk Bauen und Wohnen" sowie die "Archithese".
Im Grunde genommen liesse isch an dieser Liste nichts auszusetzten, doch ich hätte es gerne gesehen, dass das Magazin "Trans" welches an der ETH Zürich erscheint ebenfalls eine Erwähnung irgendwelcher Art gefunden hätte. Qualitativ und bezüglich Autorenschaft kann das "Trans" durchaus mithalten, deshalb würde ich für eine demnächst erweiterte Fassung dieser Liste plädieren. Die "grossen vier", wie so oft haben schon genug Aufmerksamkeit.
Ich denke dem bliebe nichts weiteres hinzuzufügen, bis auf einen Verweis auf die baldige neue Ausgabe von "Trans", möge das "Rauschen im Blätterwald" erst dann richtig beginnen...