09.05. - 30.08.2026

Groundwork

Opening: 8.5.2026, 7 PM

An exhibition and film series produced by the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA), Montreal

What does it mean to think and do architecture today, in light of social crises and ecological challenges? ‘Groundwork’ addresses this question by investigating contemporary approaches that are rethinking architectural practice. At its center is a series of three new documentary films, which were produced by the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in Montreal and originally shown there as three separate exhibitions. The films present a range of methodologies: Xu Tiantian (DnA_Design and Architecture) is developing a series of precise interventions navigating the pressures of heritage, tourism, and marine ecology on Meizhou Island in China; the Berlin-based collective bplus. xyz, known as b+, is initiating a European Citizens’ Initiative meant to bolster the retention and rehabilitation of existing buildings over speculative urban development; in Brazil, Carla Juaçaba is realizing minimal pavilions in support of local communities resisting extractive agriculture. ‘Groundwork’ does not focus on the finished product, but rather the design process in its early stages. Films, documents, and fragments render visible how architectural concepts take form within specific social, political, and ecological conditions.

Exhibition and film series conceived by: Francesco Garutti & Irene Chin (CCA)
Films directed by: Joshua Frank
Adapted by: Yuma Shinohara (S AM)

 

Exhibition flyer: here

The exhibition ‘Groundwork’ is supported by:

Exhibition Partner:
Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA), Montreal

Exhibition Supporters:
Cosentino
Tweaklab
Laufen Schweiz AG

Accompanying Program Partners:
Hans und Renée Müller Meylan Stiftung
Open House Basel
Lokal für Raumbegehung
Verein für Spaziergangswissenschaft

SAM Supporters:
Kanton Basel-Stadt
Bundesamt für Kultur BAK
Christoph Merian Stiftung
Beisheim Stiftung

S AM Sponsors:
Marti AG Basel
HIAG
Vectorworks

S AM Partners:
Dr. Levante GmbH & Co.KG
Karl Bubenhofer AG
Gremper AG

Upcoming exhibitions

19.09.2026 - 03.01.2027

Tony Fretton: Practice

Opening: 18/9/2026, 7 PM

The S AM Swiss Architecture Museum is proud to announce PRACTICE, a retrospective exhibition of selected projects of architect Tony Fretton (b. 1945, London). He established Tony Fretton Architects in London in 1984, which ran until 2024. His published texts on architecture are numerous, and he has taught extensively, including as Chair of Interiors Buildings and Cities at the Faculty of Architecture at TU Delft, and as guest professor at GSD Harvard, ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne. He lives and works in London.

Fretton’s buildings and projects are presented at S AM through texts, photographs and drawings. Together, they show Fretton’s practice as continuity of reflection on the existing environment, including the social, cultural and political dimensions of the city and what lies outside it.