Marianne Burkhalter und Christian Sumi

The architecture of Marianne Burkhalter and Christian Sumi reflects the turning point of 1968, when the social relevance of buildings was called into question by new demands ranging from ecological to political concerns. After a series of individual experiences with avant-garde groups and in scientific research, such as with Superstudio, the German Archaeological Institute in Rome or the collaboration with Mario Campi at the ETH Zurich, Marianne Burkhalter and Christian Sumi founded their architectural office in Zurich in 1984. After teaching separately at EPFL, Harvard and other universities, they shared a professorship at the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio from 2008 until their retirement in 2018. Their projects are based on a careful balance between the logic of montage and the study of polychromy, between the individuality of contemporary living and the conditions of the urban milieu, between the references of Swiss modernism and the appreciation of the “everyday” of international postmodernism. In order to formulate their position, they have developed an extensive body of exhibitions and publications, most recently on Konrad Wachsmann (2018) and Citroën DS (2020), which position them as unique protagonists in the architectural debate of post-war Switzerland.