25.05. - 29.09.2019

Swim City

25/5/-29/9/2019
Opening: 24/5/2019, 7 pm

‘Swim City’ is the first exhibition to draw attention to a particular contemporary phenomenon in urban space: river swimming as a mass movement. Swiss cities have played a pioneering role in the development of this activity in the last few decades, gradually making the river accessible as a natural public space in the built environment. This has allowed for the river to become a place of leisure located right in front of one's doorstep. The rest of the world looks on in awe at this bathing culture. Here, cities abroad see an example of how they can reclaim their river areas as a spatial resource, so as to sustainably improve the quality of urban life. The exhibition shows the unique characteristics and historic development of river swimming in Basel, Bern, Zurich and Geneva. An immersive film installation allows visitors to experience these four cities from the perspective of a swimmer in the river. In addition, the exhibition presents contemporary river-swimming projects from around the world: Flussbad Berlin, POOL IS COOL (Brüssel), Thames Baths (London), Ilot Vert (Paris), Charles River Swimming Initiative (Boston) and  +POOL (New York).

The exhibition is curated by: 
Barbara Buser, Andreas Ruby, Yuma Shinohara
Film installation: Jürg Egli
Photography: Lucía de Mosteyrín

Publication: S AM – Andreas Ruby, Yuma Shinohara (HG. / ED.): Swim City.
Christoph Merian Verlag, ISBN 978-3-85616-889-6,
German / English, 224 p., CHF 39.–

The exhibition and the publication were supported by:

Exhibition Partners:
Sulger Stiftung
Future Architecture Platform
Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union

die Mobiliar
GGG Basel
IWB
denkstatt sàrl
Analyze – Jürg Egli
Ochsner Sport
Ricola
Meyer–Spinnler AG

Media Partner Exhibition:
espazium

Publication Partner:
Christoph Merian Stiftung

S AM Supporters:
Abteilung Kultur des Kantons Basel-Stadt
Christoph Merian Stiftung

S AM Sponsors:
ComputerWorks AG
Zumtobel Licht AG
Truninger AG

S AM Partners:
SIA Schweizerischer Ingenieur und Architektenverein
Levante Software
Karl Bubenhofer AG

S AM Media Partner:
Transhelvetica

Accompanying Programme

24/5/2019: 7 PM
Public Opening

25/5/2019: 11 AM–3.30 PM
Symposium: ‹River Tactics›
 with representatives from:
FLUSSBAD BERLIN,
POOL IS COOL (BRÜSSEL),
THAMES BATHS (LONDON),
ILOT VERT (PARIS),
CHARLES RIVER SWIMMING INITIATIVE (BOSTON) and
+POOL (NEW YORK)
Location: Alte Universität, Rheinsprung 9/11, Basel
Admission: free

18/6/, 20/6/, 4/9/ & 5/9/2019: 6–9 PM
Tours in and along the Rhine​: ‹Aqua Incognita›

with curator Barbara Buser, with reception afterwards
meeting point: Münsterfähre stop in Grossbasel
Language: German
Fee: CHF 50.–
Registration: event@sam-basel.org

19/6/2019: 10 AM–12 PM
Wednesday-Mattinée in the S AM

Language: German
Admission: CHF 10.– (red. CHF 5.–)

27/6/, 25/7/, 29/8/ & 12/9/2019: 6 PM
Public guided tours in German
(except for 25.7.2019 English)
Admission: CHF 12.– (red. CHF 8.–) tour free

1/–5/7/ & 5/–9/8/2019: 9 AM–5 PM
Summer holiday programme for children aged 6–11:
‘We’ll take our place – in the water and on land – and explore Basel’s public space’
Language: German
Fee: CHF 250.–
Registration: https://www.basler-ferienpass.ch/fp/ (Kreativangebot 104)

25/8/2019: 11 AM–12.30 PM
Family Sunday: tour for parents and workshop for children aged 5–11
Language: German
Admission: children CHF 5.–
adults CHF 20.–

  

Upcoming exhibitions

25.05. - 25.08.2024

Sign of the Times: Recent Projects from the SIA Master's Prize

Opening: 24/5/2024, 7 PM
 

In cooperation with the Professional Group for Architecture of the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects SIA and the Architectural Council of Switzerland
 

The exhibition provides a unique glimpse into the future of Swiss architecture: In presenting the winning projects from the two previous editions (2022/2023) of the national master’s thesis competition ‘SIA Master's Prize’, this show introduces ambitious visions by young architects that also provide exciting input for architectural practice. 

19.10.2024 - 16.03.2025

Soft Power: The Brussels Way of Making the City

The exhibition 'Soft Power: The Brussels Way of Making the City' traces Belgium's journey to becoming an internationally renowned hotspot for contemporary architecture and urban planning. The show sheds light on the framework conditions that have given rise to a high-quality building culture in Brussels and encouraged a new generation of architects to participate in its urban development. 


Curators: Roxane Le Grelle, Andreas Kofler (S AM)​

An exhibition of S AM Swiss Architecture Museum in cooperation with the
Bouwmeester Maître Architecte (BMA) and the support of Brussels Capital Region.