17.05.2003 - 31.08.2003
While visitors are looking at the 2b architectes from Lausanne's Swiss Pavilion at the ARCO art fair in Madrid, the Architekturmuseum in Basel will be showing the "Young Swiss Architecture" exhibition at the same time.
The Architekturmuseum, working with the Spanish organizers and the Pro Helvetia culture foundation, set up a little comité scientifique, which invited five young architectural practices to design a pavilion for the courtyard of the Conde Duque culture centre. For once the architectural practices weren't going to be well-known, the participants would be no older than forty, and if possible from different areas of the country.
The Architekturmuseum was not just involved in the preparatory work, but also put on an exhibition about the five practices. So in both Basel and Madrid, work by Baumann & Roserens from Zurich, Buzzi & Buzzi from Locarno, Conradin Clavuor from Chur and sabarchitekten from Basel can be seen as well as the built entry by 2b architectes from Lausanne - a pavilion in the shape of a Swiss cross.
There is scarcely anything specifically "Swiss" about the various entries, apart from the familiar Swiss perfection in terms of technology and craftsmanship. Despite similar educational backgrounds, they stand out for their different design strategies and also for differences deriving from regional characteristics, and from tradition.