Highrise CH

since 2015

There are few European countries where the design of a built environment is as much determined by the people as in Switzerland. The people often decide on the creation or demise of a project and thus exert a serious influence on the development of a cityscape.

The impact and usability of a place depends not least on the design of the architectural environment. This, in turn, is shaped by the prevailing zeitgeist at the time of its creation. Thus, in referendums, the voting citizen often judges the following process on the basis of liking and disliking the exterior.

Likewise, judgments are made when, after years of use, it becomes necessary to renovate a building. Although this is rarely determined by a referendum, the pressure from users and the resulting rentability of a property is dependent on the prevailing taste at the time. As a rule, the refurbishment of a building is due after 30 to 60 years. Accordingly, buildings from the 60s and 70s are increasingly affected in the present time.

In general, the architectural form of these decades is not very popular in today's world. This makes it all the more difficult for architects to defend renovation designs that adopt this style to building owners.

Eventually, many of the high-rises built in the '60s and '70s will disappear behind over-renovated facades. Even those that would be important to preserve in terms of historic preservation. The project takes a special look at these buildings - renovated or not. By positioning the camera on or above the ridge line of the surrounding buildings, the particular height of the high-rise stands out as a defining feature.