2G 35 BURKHALTER SUMI

Description

That the same adjectives can be used to describe Swiss architecture by those who admire it and those who don’t -namely minimal, uncompromising and well constructed- is a strange and noteworthy consensus. Transcending such characteristics is the work of Burkhalter Sumi, for it has as much sensuality as sense, opulence as rigour, and an architectural ambition tempered refreshingly with modesty.
Even though Burkhalter Sumi are now working on larger scale problems and projects than before, their way of thinking and working shows a remarkable consistency over the 21 years since the office’s founding. Over years of obervations, mulling and simply following their personal tastes the architects had assembled a host of complicated and contradictory issues about timber architecture, such as tectonics, form and its perception, prefabrication, colour, ecology and hybrid structures.
This issue of 2G magazine, devoted to Burkhalter Sumi, collects an illustrative selection of recent works by the Swiss team, including residential projects, urban planning, projects for the workplace and exhibitions.

CONTENTS

Introduction

• Steven Spier: Resolving the Hidden Core

Works and Projects

I. Residential Projects

• Loft in the Hauserpark Building, Biel, 2000
• Town villas, Witikon, Zurich, 1998-2001
• Two houses, Küsnacht, 1998-2002
• Multengut housing for senior citizens, Muri, 2002-2004
• Rigiblick Hotel and Theatre, Zurich, 2002-2004
• Housing, Herrliberg, 2002-2005
• Town villas, Beijing, 2004
• Am Eulachpark housing complex, Winterthur, 2003-2006
• Sunnige Hof housing complex, Zurich, 2001-2005

II. Urban Planning

• Development of the Central Station area, Zurich, 2004
• Project for the densification of Schwamendingen, Zurich, 2004
• Development of the Seewen-Feld area, Schwyz, 2004

III. Projects for the Workplace

• Remodelling of the EMPA Laboratory, Dübendorf, 1995-1999
• Remodelling of the Sulzer Building, Winterthur, 2000-2001
• Office building, Opfikon, 2000-2002
• Remodelling of the Werd Building, Zurich, 2003-2004
• Eichhof Office Building, Lucerne, 2004-2005

IV. Exhibitions

• Onoma Expo 02 pavilion, Yverdon-les-Bains, 2002
• Gottfried Semper 1803-1879 exhibition, Zurich, 2003

Biography

Nexus – Marianne Burkhalter and Christian Sumi: On Public Space. Three Historic Examples:

• Gottfried Semper: Three Projects for Dresden, 1836-1878
• Geoffrey Copcutt: The Town Centre of Cumbernauld New Town, 1958-1968
• Mies van der Rohe: Three Plaza Projects, 1964-1969

144 pages, color ills / 23 x 30 cm / English, Spanish