Transatlantic Architecture: Venturi, Scott Brown and Switzerland
People
Course director
Description
The course examines the transfer of architectural forms and ideas across history and borders, focusing on the Swiss reception of American architects Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown. A series of lectures will explore how their work was disseminated via key figures and media, such as magazines and exhibitions, and its potential impact on Swiss architecture from 1975 to 1995. Twelve characteristic elements attributed to Venturi and Scott Brown will be analysed, tracing their origins and global use up to the present, emphasising transatlantic exchanges and the application of these elements in Swiss architecture. Ultimately, the course will contribute to the debate on the legacy and preservation of the recent architectural heritage.
Objectives
To gain insight into the relationship between media and architectural practice before the digital age, within the political, social, and cultural context post-1968. To investigate how forms and ideas travel and how their historical usage has influenced their connotations. To evaluate the cultural exchanges that have shaped architectural thought and practice, fostering a deeper understanding of the continuity of architectural history.
Teaching mode
In presence
Learning methods
The course comprises a series of ex cathedra lectures complemented by individual research.
Examination information
A poster and a booklet are to be submitted at the end of the semester.
Bibliography
- Venturi, Robert, Scott Brown, Denise, Izenour, Steven. Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form. 2nd ed.. Cambridge, Mass.: The MIT Press, 1977.
- Venturi, Robert. Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture. 2nd ed. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1977.
- Allenspach, Christoph. Architecture in Switzerland: Building in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Zürich: Pro Helvetia, 1999.
- Moos, Stanislaus von. Venturi, Rauch & Scott Brown: Buildings and Projects. New York: Rizzoli, 1987.
- Schaad, Gabrielle, Lange, Torsten. Archithese Reader: Critical Positions in Search of Postmodernity, 1971-1976. Zürich: Triest, 2024.
Education
- Master in Storia e teoria dell’arte e dell’architettura (120 ECTS), Lecture ex cathedra, Elective course, Elective, 1st year (3.0 ECTS)
- Master in Storia e teoria dell’arte e dell’architettura (120 ECTS), Lecture ex cathedra, Elective course, Elective, 2nd year (3.0 ECTS)
- Master in Storia e teoria dell’arte e dell’architettura (90 + 30 ECTS), Lecture ex cathedra, Elective course, Elective, 1st year (3.0 ECTS)
- Master in Storia e teoria dell’arte e dell’architettura (90 + 30 ECTS), Lecture ex cathedra, Elective course, Elective, 2nd year (3.0 ECTS)
- Master of Science in Architecture, Lecture ex cathedra, Elective, 1st year
- Master of Science in Architecture, Lecture ex cathedra, Elective, 2nd year
Study trips
- Canton Ticino (Bellinzona etc.), 26.10.24 - 26.10.24 (Optional)
