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,,11 2 \Vorld Ardlitcc ture Nr. 266, Valerio Olgiati , W/orld Architecture
Puhli ca tions, Lkijin g, 20 12
Cilill t'SC alld Ellglish: /SSN 1002-4IB2, 127 pagrs
V,ILEHIO OLG/ATI AT TilE MUSEU M ! '7'/' [.,1) :;t.:;t /1,;:/7-r1
edited by llosaka Kenjirn, iVIOMAT, Til e Nati onal \luseulII of "Iodern
,\rt 'Ihkyn, Japan, 20ll-20l2
Japanrst' and F,nglish ISB N 9711-4-9902409-:1-6" 40 pages
\ I. I'dure by Va lerio (Jlgiati , Birkhaus(' r V('1'lag AC llase l. !lasel 20 II
(I issues each ill I'n glish, German, Spani, IL Frr nch, Italian, Japanese
English: ISBN ')78-:\ -0:H6-078:l-4, 108 pages
CCllll<ln: ISRK 978-:l -0:14()-0782-7, 108 rag(',
Spa ui sh: ISRN 978-3-0:H6-0787-2, lOll pages
Frl'lIdl: ISBN Y78-3-0346-078'1- 1, 108 pages
Italian : ISBN 978-3-03'16-078,5-8 , 108 pages
Japanese: ISBN 978-:\-03MI-0786-;';" lOR pa ges
J ill Vall'ri" Olgiati, Weber Auditoriulll Plant ali of, LandCfuart Grisons
Buildin g i)l'l'artlnerlt, Chur 201l
2 issues caril in English and Cerman
English: ISBN 978-:{-C)S2:l8:H -5-5, 24 pages
(;l'fIuan: ISBN 1-4-8, 24 pages
'1111 Valr'rio Ol giati, Parliament Entrance C11l1r, Building
DcpartlilellL Chur 2011 4 issues each ill I::ngli sh, Cf' l'In<l n" It'llian and
l\'I/11<1118h:
f:nglblt: ISH;'; L 2'1 page'S
CI'rnl,lI1: ISRN 24 pagf's
Italian: ISBN 978-3-%23831-1-7, 24
HOJnanslt: ISBN 978-:\-9523831-2-'1, 2/1 pages
ELCHOQUIS Nr 156, Valerio Olgiati 19% - 20 11 , Croquis edotorial
2011 Spanish and Engli sli; ISSN 0212-S633 ! ISBN: Y73-34
21 S pages
"111(1 I)'areo Valerio Ol giat i nlollograpl l sIH'cia ll'ditioll,
Portugal, [)'arco Ed iti ons, i\latosinitos, Portugal, 2010 ,
Portugucse alld English: [SS,\I IM6-9S0X, n6 pages
211111 llado, Built and Inlmbitcd by Rutiolf Ol,,'iati and Valerio Olgiati , edited
bv Sel in;] \'(Ia lder, Birkhii uscr Verlag, !lasf'!. 20 lO
l::ill\ engl isli: Y78-3-0:H6-0BO-7, 100 pages
[Sill" gl'flnan: 978-3-03'16-037,5 -1 , 100 pages
:!tIIl' l The Sign ifi cancc of the Idea ill the Archit ec ture of Valerio Olgiati, Di e
Bl'dl'utUlig der Idee in der Architektur VO II Val eri o Olgiati, Texi in
C'TlIIJn and Ell glisit by Breitscil1nid , Verlag Niggli AG, 2009
ISBN ')7H-:1-72 1 2-0676-0, 88 pages
:! IIO:: VlLEH IO OLGL\TI, eoited by La url' llt :;t,1Id .'r, Tex ts by Carpo.
Brullo Ikidtlill and Laurent Stalder, Verlag der Buchilandlung Walther
Kiillig, Kii lll , 2008 (1 st Edition) ! (j uart Verlag, Lu ze rn 2010 (2nd
edit ion)
ISBi\ GCI'll1aIl9 78-3-03761-031-2 , 192 pagc,;
[Slli'i En;4li ;;h 978-3-03761-030-,5, IY2 pages
"i H17 1I0l1S.' for a - Atel ier Bardill hy Valerio Olgia ti. Editioll Dino
Sil lltllldL :Z007
ISIIi\ 9H7-:I-YOS,) 62-S'I-5 , 64 pages
"(HI, \'alr-rio Ol giati , with Student s, Edi ted by
Rrl'it,dllnid, Virginia Tech Architec ture Publi ca tion s, LISA, 20(H,
ISIl \ 'J7H-0-979'12 96-:1-7, 63 pages
:!tlll(, 2(;, \'all'l'io Olgia ti, Gustavo Gili Barcelona , 11,:37 , 2006,
ISR\; 14:\ pages
2(1(11 Va lnio Olgiati , PLAN I: 100. Ed ition Dino Sillionell, 2004,
ISIlN :1-')0:,;'62-1 :\-8, 64 pages
2(1(10 Va lerio OIf,'ia ti" Das Gclhe I [aus. Kunst li aus Urf'genz, archi\' kUll st
3wliit"ktur. 19, 2000, Verl ag Gerd [-Iatj e,
:1 -7757-1004 -:1, R2 pages
2t l(III 1,1 student [lrojec\:; \Iith Val erio Olgiati 1991l - 2000,. Quart Verlag,
2000, ISBN :3-907(>3 J -04-8 , 66 pages
1'1(1
1
) V,ILEH IO OLClilTI , Da, Gelbe Il aus, catalog, ex l liiJitioli at Swiss
Fl'd,'rulillstitute of TeclinolOb'Y (ETH ). Zuri ch, 1999, gta Verlag, ETlIZ,
ISBN I , 18 page:;
11)'1:: Vall'riu Olgiati, PASPELS , Edition Dillo Silli onell, 1998,
ISBN :\-%21 :375-5-:3, 65 pages
20 11 ! 12 \HHI!\T The ,\IU SI'UJl I of \rL TokIO, --V ILEllln
OLCIA'I'I-
20 10 Ol'trLAB, Porto, "VALI::HIO OLCIATI ", introritll'tioll I!'('tun ' by Laun'll t
Stalder
2010 Tile Yellow !louse Flirw;. Darh "Built ami Illhahited by Huddolf Olgiati
and Valerio Ol giati "
2009 l10ya l Illstit ute of Briti oil ArdJitecl s (11111 ,.1, ), London,
OLCIAT[-
2009 Accadenlia eli arcl litetlura. Univ<'rsita della S,izzt' ra italiall<l,
"VA LERIO OLeIXlr ,. introdudioll leelure hv Ca rpo
1008 Swiss Federal Ill stitute of Trdillology (I'T II), Zuerich . :1\1 il ze rlalld .
"VA LEHIO OI.GIATl"
2002 Ga lNic Boze ll , Ital y, "vale ri o olgiali - id,,, ,"
199') Swi,s F(' rleral of Ted Iliol OO'Y (ETII). Zurid I, Switz,'rlalld, "fjas
(;ell1e Ilalls, Flillls"
199fl Cal";ria AaIlL. Milano , Italy, " I progf' tlo", illtroductioll I('clllre by
Kenlleth Fralnpton
,
I
J
I
Conver sation:
One Question for the Architect Who Does
Not Believe in Anything
Valedo Olgiati and Markus B ..
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Markus Breitschmid (il'fB): Valerio Olgioti. fo r some yeo!:';
nnw. sl ates repea l edly that he "do e. not believe il1 onyl hing,"
Tn (I more recenl statement made jiw C/ text fo r C/ monographic
edil ion by the :ipanish pu!Jli(;uti on [;;1Cro(juis. Olgiati also
pronoullced: ''The nLOst radical and most kill d (i/O
magnl/kent uui lcJin
u
wuulr.ll)c a vllil cling lhat can exist if! onh
one particLl l aru;ay and lUi other way despil e the}iu:t thal il i.\
not the result oIan ideal. .' frwe surveyed ureilit e tum (1,\ it 11011 f'
l;cen Imilt und ri esr ri,/J ed in recent ri e('U dl's. these w ;() SlCl l el71 rll
iJy VlJlerio Olginti - partiwlndy !Iwe jbUou;ed Olgiuti unc/ltP/ I
willing t acceplthem not as an i,.resolvfll>le conlradietion - (f,
f}ropos(, an oppmochjor wrhil l-'. (:turejbr which one ('anno/./im J" /
pre(wJr.'I1ts easilcy, !/we rxtn}ind them (It oil , The {J()sition Ih at ,,"'/
Valerio Olgiali \ urchiwI'lure iniwuiLs l/;ilhin lhe prodUCliull "
contemporary archil edure is IWI olLLy evident in l l U:' physical
appearance his buildings, What ma/i;es Ow physi l'uL uflpearm Il
q/his IJU.ilri ings {1()ssihL(' is Oil ideati()nal appoml us Ih ut buLMs, .
his urchilecLure coru;cpt ll lllly ThejiJllowinp, is [l l/t test iOIl ./iJl' 'd' '- ,
Va l eri o Olgiati thaL seell.::; /(j eX/rrU'1 (tn explanatioll how his 1m
statements pointed 0 11 1. ubmw ore p()ssible to co-exist 01/( / . ,WI
we cw1 presenl un urchileclLlmllheorelicuijilLLruloliol1 .fi
his Lwtk The riifjim>t7,l seclions 0/ lhe reply iJy Valerio Olgiali
haue heen wmpiled Ily /v]arkus Breilschmid bused on. I.l series I
(:(lnversal iDns {)('w;ep. f1 Olginli and Brei l schmid held in FUms,
.su;itz,erloru /, (Ind IJlu('/rslwt"f Vi,gini(/., [w/Lueelt Decem/wI' lOll
(Inri Felmuuy :20 f f .
I:l: 10' .!::
- lIow is it possibl e fOt' a huilding to exisl in onl y Ou ('
pal,t i ular way and no other way if the ar ehil eel does nl
believe in anything? ''I.,. l,..
./
Val(' rio Olgiali: Tlii s is a I ha\'l' heel! \\'mking Oil (r,
l J
years, I always ask Ill ysdr L1w questioll Ito,\, I ('all lltak( ' a ,
, l
building that is lIot a rbitra ry alld is also 1I0t Il )' al (
ideal, [l ow call I make a building tlta l is 1101 il1l'iill'Iltai anel ca
oll ly exisL in one particu lar \\' u) but is abo lIot result of a
rule or a law? Wltat lh is ul tima Lely Ill eans, of' is thaI It I 'hi'
buildings 'Cl n not I)c par I uf a traditi on or a yet the\' ' /J
cannot be rClllovnd frolll s()(:idy lhat lI obody CUll willI ,
ll telll,'iXlhile Illy hui ldill gs arc lIotlililil eclto tl1e c: haracL('t'isti'
lli aL is implied by Ill!: abo\'(\ it is Lrue Lhal Ill y huil Ji
- J.
strive Lo be parLicular yet general. Maybe U I t: lllosl
t,
building of Illill e tll aL (knlOll slrat es queslioll 1,: 1
well is Lll e PlanLabof Audilorium Cee ). bUL I a lso 1'0, J ,I
point to litany urlbu ilt projects of' the past d "call e suc/t as tlte
Et> I; L Lea l'lling Cent!'r (20I)!l: See p, 63, helO\ ) or, evell Curtlll
back, til e Office Buil di ng Binz in ZLlr ich (200 l ), fl ow to II wkt ' , :'J
bui lding, lli al Ov\'l1 a gen ra l va lidit y ill our I', lreilici.
T
hNNOg , I'll (lU " alld dec ,Ilt rali zed and cul tura ll y urokcli I v l ; I
so 'iel.y ha,.; occupied Ill y mi nd for a IOllg ti l1le. Tlll'rdore. J II
til at a ll of Ill , ' buil dill g, grapple \\ iUI tlt is tilliel y prolJleu
for arcl li Le<.:lurc, lL I'eall y g00.;; all lit e \\ ay bar'k. to lll!' Sello()1
Paspels (n+u, .. 'rll t: II or 110\\ lilli/dill\.! l " ltl' I
meall ingfu ll y - by wh ich I 111/' 0111 for ,. lI11t III
Oppusi l U: EleL'o/ion ... ipurl l1l el1/ Tower
in /,;1170. Peru, 2n12 (scalc. 1/.')00;
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arbitraril y or incidenlall y - in our postmodern epoch in which
n o gLli(ung rul>:3 anymore is not just a problem that I am
JI1l;erned 'NiLh. sa maller of iacl.. I think all archi tects of
today wowd find themselves challenged with this problem if
they made an effort to observe and analyze our world. I would
say it is a general problem of our time. I find the problem of
how a building can exist in only parti cwar way without the
architect havi ng an ovcrarching beli ef system to be the most
diffi cult yet also the most important probl em for architects of
our epoch. Once I understood thi s to be the challenge of
fundamental importance for cOlltemporary architecture, I have
taken it on e er since. Tt is a philosophical problem for architects
of the 2] st century not unlike the quest to accomplish a total
architectural space was the central philosophical problem for
architects of the 20st ce ntury (a problem Ludwig Mi es van der
Roh ultimately resolved) or the quest of styl e was the central
philosophi cal probl -m for architects of the 19st century (a
problem resolved by Karl Fri edrich Schinkel). Here I al so wowel
like to say that it is the precondition for an archi tect to obsen Te
and analyze the world in order Lo identify the f1wdamental
currents of OLlr civilization. I try to under tand the fundamental
challell ge of our time, and my buildings attempt to respond to
thiS chall enge. I do not consider rny building:; to be priva te
affairs that 1jLlSt uuil d for my own bpnefit. My buildings should
deal with the most fundamental chall en<:Tc of om Li me and Lhey
should do it in a general nature. It is important to know in what
form the world exists in the era one works. Schinkel and Mies
van der Rohe knew the world they were operating in. Maybe I
need to proviJe a context why it seems to be a contradiction to
staLe that a buildi ng can onl y exist in one parLicwar way if one
does not believe in any Llli ng. Maybe it is important to expl ain
why tliis is a problem of magnitude for our postrnodern epoch
more so than it mi ght have been in the past. The reabOtI W11)'
this is all illl portant prohl em fur our time is the fact t hat we do
not have a belie able authOli ty any longer that tens how
architecture ought to exist. III other word", nobody provides us
with instructions what good ard li tprLur is any longer. Thi . i a
new conditi on we are fLnding our lve. ill. There In iuht have
been tinHos in the past that faced dpgr es of hut ,
eveII du ring modernism, ard lite 'ts were boull d tog ther by a
fa irl y d earl y described common eause th y w 'rc f1 hLil p [or. 11
is a di stinct characteristic of post-modernit y that the most
op1iisticated people of our era - whell they think about the
\"",orld - come to the ' ondusion that they do not believe in
anythin <T. I IJcen quoted several times that r do not beli eve
in all ythill g but [ know very well that I am not the onl y p rson
wl lO does I I( t beUeve L11 anythillg. : \ 5 a matter of facl., it has
becOl1w cyident that it i::; really a foil . to beli eve in something,
to beli eve in a particular id aI., in the \ orld as it presents
to us tuday. ft is almost a lit tle bit na'iv . to subscribe to a
parti cular beli ef system or a particul ar or an ideology
today. llowever, J also do lI Ot think that it is a particular
advantage for the people of post-fIloJernity 1I 0t to believe in
anything. 1 do not think postIll otl ern peop](: intenti onall y sLrove
for it. It probabl y wo uld bp easier to beli eve in sometliill g thall
not to beli eve in but tlli s is Lhe siLllatioll we find
ouri:ielv in toLlay. Ultimatel y, it i-' a fact that Lll ere is no ideal
anywhere ill the world thaL is pm crful enough to con ince
people to subscribe to. Therefore_the questi on here is an all
encompassing phi]osophical problem tll at haf. emerged as a
parti cul ar probl ern fo r Ollr postl11oder n ,.ociel), . It is not only a
problem in architecture but it is al ' 0 a probl 111 in architecture.
As all an:i1i lel"l I deal with it in the domaill of building . HaVing
laid out til e situation we filld ourselves in as a civilization, I
10
want to emphasize foll owing; L too, do not beli eve in
anything but. lIotwithslalluing my position. it is not acceptabl e
to me to declare that everybody can do now what t:ver It e or sit e
wants. Sure, to sorne degree, postm dern men and women ca n
do whatever he or she wants to do, but it \vill nOLamount to
anything meani ngful if you approach it wHit "anything goes." I
d ea rl y reject snch rel atiVism, and my buil dings tell yuu
that I reject such an approach because they are conceived and
built very precisely. If we ever would cOlli e to an agreement in
architc ture that anything goes, it woul d be the death of good
architecture. hI archiLecLme not everything goes
l
t y building:
aim to have a general vali dity. Ye t my building. do s ) without
subscribing to rules and laws th at others have establ ished b ,for
me nOr rio my buildings present ruleg and la for others to
foll ow. r tll ink this is diffi cult to understand: How can a huildi ll
be of general validity without being the r -suIt or rit e soure of
pred -termined rule -' and laws? The shor t answer to thi s ques ti o
and also to the initial ques tion is that my buil dings are not
: ymboli c: in lIature nor are the hi storical in nature, but they al
pure architecture. rchitecture has to be deri ved from
archi tecture. In one of our past conversati ons, I already . l ated
that my architecture is not symbo li c of soni ctliing. My bujldim
do not : tand in to someth ing else other than
themselves. Already thell I knew Lh al what govem d rny
approacJ l to architecture \Va nothill g mor ' an 1 nothing less
than the archit ectural idea for a uuildilF. Not an idea.l for all I
building, but just an idea for onr: build ing. 1 reeall cd that you
once had madp a disti ncLi on V' tween tl wideal all d the idea il ' c
different phil osophical approa he ill aesLhetics. Yes, it is
ausolutely correct that I1 ly approa 11 not Lo .uCcUl nh to a
tll eor' of a specific ki nd of eLl lical or He. tllCLlt: i leal but Hli
approach that for a COII Cl.Jfll Wider wlIi cl l W
D
'an thillk [I
and lIla ke jllcl glllenb. I am cOllvin ced Llnlt Lll e li io'hest order
uncl er whi ch mankind call exist is not a d t -'r:mi ned sy::;tern bll I
a refl ecti ve-discursive system. my t uildin
b
are nO!
symbolil' in the serl. e' [hat ti l yare a piecp. of a li neage. Evpry a
ulli ldi ng is it own tllin T. Not only d- TlI ot beli -v in anylililJ. Ii
Ill y buildi ng . too, ar
J
1I 0t abour anythill g. build ill do li t ,
pr li t a pa rti 'ul ar con tOIlt. ill y building to1 (
ubjecls that nwk ple think aDd let tll 'm em r itl Lo a
di course. S _if . OU were to ask me what Lny buildill gs arc OJ
about. I would say my bltilcLngs are ahout thf' ar 'l lilecloll ir's ('
Ul at fost r a el i course. I al._ want to mal ' uno!ll !'; r ddiocati, U
abou Lmy work. \fy bllildings af nM "ymholi (' ill tlt e W I: Ii g
tbey do nOLrefer to a par Li cular contellt llfyond the HI
LiJ ernselve,:; my bUi ldings are also not. liitil ori ca1. My building d,
do 1I0t poillt forward or backward ill tifll e. This is Y.ry :3)
illlportanl. We have to rell1cllIber It r what iL lIl eall S to be 31
Ilistorica1. TlIe concvpLof hist! ry is imbued wi tl! optimi sm II I
we can leam sOl11othin
Q
1):0111 our pa,t for Our future. v1 ' 01
bUildings, though. do not e i t o that w - (" an ieam sOInetil il!_ (I
from ther-II that w'til bring betterment for tIl e worl d, al least I! UI
in [i ll Y direct way. Tani not driven by th fl] Oli vation Lli at e\ t to
city ollglit to have a bui lJing of because my bLLildings d(
beller the jJeople wlt o li ve in tlwt city. I know or arcllitects. II I1 f
respected arci liLccL. of international staLure, 110 think of Lil(' ar
own buil dings in those ahn ::i t fIl isgionary terms. Iy builLlir" ar
do !lot stall d for such a hisLoriGal mission. My buildi ng. ' an'lI th
ohjeets alon
cr
a lill eaap, that leads to some 'Jf [J ro\ridelll 'l'. (
This is \<\I hilL [ mean b. hi stori Til er is 1I 0tl Iln :r t() lear; ul
frolll my buildings ill a Llirect m RrIl kl". My buillillgs are : h
compl etely a histori ca l. 1ani sp a.king alJ.)ul the alti sLDri (";11 r
nature of my arclli Lec: tur Ul all ill lell (' iLlul 110\\ {lilt 1 II
thillk that Llli s iIll Jleduul pu.,lllUl1 Ihl\\ 111:- hUll.
c
n
!war

ram con fiu( :nt that my buildings age very

time. Fur example, r think the School in Paspels (a+u
- quiclJy approachincr to be 20 years old - demonstrates
' It of my buildings. It is not a fashionable building
II al pl'opk gel tired of visitjllg arld it still fun ctions very well
11,,1 ju,1programmaticall y as a school, out, more importantly,
,ltll<'pptuaJly an object to brillg forward a discourse. I think
li ll' ,allll' (" 111 be said about buildings such as The Yellow House
ill (ata 02:04) tliat was conCLivcd between 1995 and 1999
" f lI lt' Bardill , tudio (See pp.81-97) that was conc ived between
alld 2007. I learned that the only vl'ay to make architecture
Iil ill not symbolic and not historical is to make buildings that
an' pUJ'ch archit ectural. I reall y had to distill ill my mind what
i, hlii damentall y archit ectural about bUildings. As soon as I
II I uhl ('(lli ceil'(: buildings wi til extra-architectural subj ect matter,
th.. huildings lose their pow r of generality. The introduction of
,\Iraarchit ectural subj ect nlat tel' into buildings makes them
,Ialll' [or ollr imagination. Therefore, I refrain to introduce any
')!IIhllli(' or iIi storical content into my buildings. Various peopl e
atl
l
lllpl 10 allach speCific contents to my building whereas I see
11"111' al all. For example, peopl e want to know v"hat the
IImil l1ll'1l1 011 the walls of the Bardill Studio (See pp.84-97)
1111'011111 . l! dO( 6 1I0t mean all Y tiling but that ornament !Jas to be
tlll'l\' be(,ause iL makes the building beLl er. I accept that
are fundalll entally the making of objects and the
11I;!'ill g of rooms. The room:; of a building and the shape of a
art' liIe two indispensibl e basic "materials" of
anltilt'(' tun . Hut 1al so learned that it is still possible to make
arbilralYbuildill g::; even if one accepts the making of object and
to 1)(' til e primary La k of architecture. Therefore, there is
11111' 11101'(' OJ sic conditiun that I aI'll emoracing in my
arri lllt'(' lure: Lh e force of rrravity. Gravity. til natural condition
thaI load fall s to the rrrollnd, is the une undi:;putable raw
lIlalt'rial \\'it'll I"hi eh all architecture has to concern itself.
\ltlrt 'fJIW. the rcsistallce that gravity IJoses [or buil dings imbu s
an Itltef'!ure \liLh generality. It applies always and everywhere. It
dill nol malter where buildings are buill, whether in Africa,
\,ia \lIlt'ri('a , or Emope. Gravity is beyond differentiations or
I'ull ilmilrauilion. and hi story. Gravity al so doe::; 1101 care how
lIu [t't'1about it. A"ain. il i.. lite one Illing thatllwkes
arr/Jitl'l 'lurt' gen ra l beyond any sY1llbulic and hislori ea.l
II1II,lnll'1s. I embrace the relellLless presence of gravity for 111)'
arrhilt't'lurp. [ am aware that architecture al ways ha - dea lt with
!,'mit! . But Idwt we have now in our epoch of post-modemity
alltl \\hat is di(fr, rent from other eIJo 'lI s of the past - i . that we
1111 lUl Lbeli r'I'e in anything anymor' and, thereJure, all the other
,! f11lln li cand hi storical tra-arellite 'lural subject matt r lhat
al "l ahlal-s been a part of Illaking buildings has fa ll en away.
Ihnd our time a fascillatin
o
Lint ' for architects because at no
IIllwr lillie had good buil dings to be so purely architectural as
Ih,,\ haw' to be no\\'. For this very reason I abo d.o not
ullihnand IllallY contemporary architecb who 5e -m compelled
1'lllI troduce an extra-archi tectural cuntent to their buildings. r
III 11111 understand why archit ects of today would do so. Finall y,
n/Ji h'(tllll' i, liberated f:rum all its extraneous subj ect maIler
dnd "III be pure architecture. The doors are open to mak pure
dft hi h ure ill which a building doe:; not stand for anything else
lil JII ihelr. But as pointed out above, thi s liberty can not work if
!"U awroachcd it as '-anything goes bel:allse buildings,
ultilllalt'l) . are inventions ot how to deal r110st adequately in
a buildi ng as all ooj ect will! rooms under the re 'i tance
"f:!J<I\i ll. Tll erdup, ltow an archiLect conceives a bUilding
'1IIIlit'HIII de('id wheth er a building is a good building or not
AIld just to be clear: ho\ an ar 'hitect conceives
a building tectonically is not solely a structural response,
although a building' s structural system is extremely illlportant
for a building to make sense and be magT!i[icellt and beau tiful.
The tectonic resolution of a buildin
IT
is ultimately a matter of
the highest artistic order. It is best if tlte t ctonic re 'olution of
the building brings forward a sense of the magical and even a
sense of the mythical. Yet even the magi al and mythical cannot
be nonsenSical ; tJl ey, too, have to be part of the leetoni c system
that the architect invents for the buildin g. as it is the case in the
af'orementioned ornament on the walls of the Bardill Studio (See
pp.84-97). But in regard to the initial question how it is possible
to say that a building can onl y exist in one particular way and
no other way without believing in anything, it is important to
point out here that buildings can indeed be judged as good or
not good without having an extra-architectural symbolic or
histori cal dimension to them. ]f buildings are fundamentally
architectural, if they are pure architecture in the sense that
architecture itself provides the rul es for architecture, t!t en it is
possible for a building to exist in only one particular way and no
other way without the architect having to believe in sOlil ethillg.
MB: In his reply to the question of how an architect wlw does
not believe in anything mn claim that a bu.ilding con only exist
in one particular Valerio Olgiati takes the position that
standards in architecture still do exist even in an era in which a
centrifugal f orce rips apart any consensus Iww buildings Light
to be. But Olgiati does not e.-"(;pose himself as (t rationalist. The
rationalists among the architects make building in which we
are toformjudgments by means of deduction. Hi'hile such a
deductive system brings forward u generczl ualiclily that reaches
be)'-ond the individual. a quality Olgiuti strives f or what we
deriv(? Fom a rationalist appruach is not f ertiLe beyond a cerlOin
pointfor what the spectfic ideal that is aciu()cated stanri.,jur. Oil
the other side of the in rer:rard to the question at hand.
it i5; clear that O/iati has little in cornman wilh a minima.list or
phenomenologist approach to architecture. OLgiC/li rej Jcts til ,
minimaliSlS' and phenomf nologists' approach /) cr:ause thl'se
archit ects make bu.ildings in which we aro lo/hrm nul' judgments
by means of in ducti orr, anclfounded on experience alone. Vhlerio
Olgiati 's upproa h is neith r of Ihe a/;(1) mentioneci. Th
rationalists ' approach is impossible ji )f' Ol viati lJ crlllse he seeks
an archil ecillre that triggers a dis thal i. li/)crated f ron1 any
given particular contPnt. The minimalists / phenomenologists'
approach is also impossible fbr 01 iati because the "int errogation "
(I f huildings by the onlookers is, for these archil cts, supposed
to occur without asking questions. What Olgi- ati outlines is u
transcendental approach lIwt necessitates both the concepts of
the rationalist approach as well as the experien 'e and sensation.s
of the minimalist/ phenomenologist approach. Oli!iati rccc)O'nizes
that the predicate - in architecture the predicat e u;oulcl be the
particular building as it exists in the world - adds somethil1f3 new
to the experiencing subje 't. II building n.ot only ousht to [riBBer
sen,'iotions in the onlookeni as the minirrwlisls/phenomenolugisl s
contend_ the f ecundity of thought is d"rived from the purliculur
uuilding by rrLPans of concepts that the onlooker brings to
the building. These concepts that provide gen >raZity ar
transcendenlals: structures of our mind d nul come from
sensations but would have no validity without il .
II
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Residential Building Zug Schleife
Zug, Switzerland 2012
.:; -? . '51 70) .g-f!!;
70170, .:;-? 2012

Seen from a distance the floor plates projecting from the facade
i;;, J: ciJlW I) {fJ
with their elliptical openings look like flying carpets with
ornamental borders. For the residents Lhese elliptical openings

generate a sense of distance, since they prevent neighbours

from seeing into each other's apartments. At the same time the U::{f Jl1j (tc/tJ,
correspondence between each of these round forms and the ')to'L Tl\0.
individual apartments gives residents a feeling of living alone 1 J 1 JC: 71\-
in a centre. The perception of space changes according to the
pOint of view and the position of the sun. The apartmenL floor

plan are divided into a living area in the west and a sleeping
Ie: J: :> 71 \ -
and working area in the east, with bathrooms and wardrobes in
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between. In spatial terms the balconies form an extension of the
living room This impression is further strengthened by the large
elliptical openings. The exposed concrete structure is made of
red-brown concrete poured in situ. The outer walls are clad with
glass panels in the same color. They appear fragile and light and
cOIlLra L with th solid concrete structure. The u c of the same
color for the cladding and the reflections in the glass blur the
clear contours of the heated volume. As a result the elemental
appearance of the stone construction is amplified.
Valerio Olgiati
T II2I1. L , jifjj
C: Jj)i tRll!lt-. L \ T L \
Opposite: Close-up ojthe balconies
j imn the south. pp, 16-17: Looking at
the living area in the west side. p, 19,
above. West elevation. p , 19.below:
Genera/view frum the u;est, All phntos
nn pp. 14-31 ex cept as noted by j Ol1ier
Miguel verme.
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Plantahof Auditorium
Landquart , Switzerland 2010

A-fA, l-?rJ); 2010
L:O)$JiLL' lIfiJiIF7' 7/9;J<7
The placernent of the new auditorium creates a new central
/\1'7') 'J F 'ftlb1it
square within the overall structure of the Plantahof agri culture
iii L'7 7'if- -t7 C.IJ:Jl<:'o) '
school. The hi gh facade holds together the new piazza. The
inner space of the auditoriulTI Ii s in half-li ght. Two windows
(7) L':@" <:. (7)*Ji
facing each other defint tlte inner space and allow for a view
'i'1<:;Ji)'), gL'[<:icJb'L''&'3 2 -::>(7)l'1b'<:.0) iil\1;;O)Jij
from the new piazza towards the axis of the f'rtilLi gau valley. WiLL'ltlgtJ'S -C L:O) ;J<-JV[;I:-t::j--, fi ,!
A thill , dark colored .. concrete wall stretches over the pillars
and hea ms like a Lent. The:,;e elelllenLs are supported outside C 1)- :@ '
the Luil cling by lite abutments. The structure combines in
equal measure a frame and a solid construction. The result is a
J
hybrid of pillars and walls, expressing an architectural coneept
iaiiil;!: 7 1.. c 'J I) 'J
and lending the building character. The J1e\\' auditorium is
Illultifunctional and has a capacity of 130 to 180 seats. In
addition to its conventional use, the new hall has the capacit y to
host different kinds of evenLs such as seminars, congresses and
panel discussions.
Valerio Olgiati
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Credits and Hal,a
Projf'CI lill e: Plalllail ul' Auliiluriulil
Clielll: Buildillg r.<J lIlro l deparlJ11 0nl 01' Canlo" Cri S()!1
PrngT<llIJ: ,\llditnrillill
Localion: Lanli c[uarL, :-;",ilZlTland
Beg-ill or planllillp;: ;.J(j\ I:llIber 200a
of I'illl;;tnll'tioll: 2009
Completion: Oc:louC'r lO IO
'\rcililec,; l: Val 'ria ()Igiali
Milan (;iliringhdJi (proj, :C' llll una", :r). Ko Jll'uda
,OlJ;;lrul'llllll 1ll'C'rvisor' Jeorg- le\"I I'll. Frail? BJrtsdl , ,\RGE
Slnll'lural ellgi nrcr: l'aLril'k GarllllHlln, COllzr tl Br ll Y. illi ,artm, 1111 AC
'\IIUlracite ill-s itu COlIlTGl ' , ti leel , cJIl'Ulll -llickf'l- -tf'el
An'a: 270 10
\'OIUIIII": 2.2t1() Il l '
Entrance to the Grisons Parliament Building
eILur. Switzerland 2010
/l5? 1:::'
A-1';t" ?-JII 2010
Tit design of th e II w en trance tn ul e Gri so ns parliament
bui ldin
a
prov ides the building it eli and the insLiLuti on it houses
\\-ith a ' uiLalle idelltity and a sumptuous, refin ed character. The
idea is to allow all visit ors with or without di sabilities to access
Lh e builclin g ill th e salli e way natura ll y and cO lllfortably. The
part of the new building is made of whil e, monoli thi c, ill
situ l'o ncrete, wh il e th e railing is made of mass ive bronze. The
white CO il 'l'de is comp s cI uf wh it cement, whit e sa lld and
gray grave l frolll the loca l ar a. The walking surfaces have been
saud ed duwll alld roughened. prom UI C square 0 11 th e so uth side
a rump lead ' to the PI' '-exi btin g ntrance door. The proportiolls
of th e base and the room height are da:;sica ll y monumelltal
and imbu the entrance with a public and fe live character.
Th I' of stretches out ove r ranl p and has a width of 18 m.
an area uf 70 1111 alld a weight of 90 ton. ntis heavy clell1ent
is only supported by a thill pillar alld by a "'hangin g (;olu mn ".
The irIll ref'.s ion of h eavincss lelld s space under th e roof a
of interiority and prot 'et ion. Th( simultalleity of exposed
alld hidden results ill a 'olll ewliat unrea l character.
Tir e "hangin g COlU IIIII " stands nex t to Lll c clltrallce door alld
lead s tlw visiLor in sid e th e bui ldin g. It barely touche:; th e ramp
an d seems to hang frorn Ul e roof. Sli ghLly rotated out of th e
surround in g geometry, it stands on tire hi ghe:, t point of lIl e
and "eerli S to continue rotatillg. I.t ]Jlayfull y balance: Lh e
apparentl y weightless roof, as if gravity did not exist.
Valerio Olgiati
'/5? L.V/\ OO)




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Opposite. General view. pp. " 8-49:
Front l ; i etl.' oj IiII' IlI?W ent rrlllCE'. 1/1
Or! jJfJ. 46- 57 excpp/ as /'to/ed
/Iy Javier Miguel l elme.
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Fluor plan (scale: 11200), /'IT.tfiii:.l:l (fIiIR : J1200)
Ruilillf!. detail (scalp. : 1/ 12)
56
to be


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Essay:
How Does Valerio Olgiati Confront
- Lool{.ing for Hints in I(arl Theology
Kenjiro Hosaka, CuraIOl", The Nalional of Modern Arl , Tokyo
I':I"i:!1' :
1J:it'?':r vI) " Jl6;?T .. - tJ-Iv " /{Iv I) I;:
fJjlt&H=8Jl ,
The Empty Office
Val eri o Ol giatj",; l'i nn is \ocatd ill tl lC I1lountain villago of Flirns,
about half all hOllr by bus from the andenl Swi ss city of J IUJ',
Anyone YI ho makes r way up slope. the large door,
and enters the offic e, is Sure to be surpr ised Lh at there is nothing
inf; ide.
arp of coursp SOIlI C de,' ks and t ltairs, but almost nOll e of
the stud y Jll odcls, I\lock-up ', or saJllpl cs of material,; that you
usually filld ill all architecture firm. You do occasionaliy find
LlIill gs like site mod ' Is" bUL tll ey lIIusLbe di scarded at sOine earl y
daLe.
Oil the floor above the office. there is an atLi '-like space that is
used as a room. Alld JlaLLITall y. Lh en' is almosL nothing
then'; eitll er, Tlw only things are a. large Lahle and chairs, 011 llle
Labl e is a wireless and keyboard thal to be for
preseIltations. Tile only other thillg is an hourglas:; ,
Swiss Humor
The hourgla ss, however, is by 110 means ti ll1an . The dev ice
IlJeasures ouL one Il our and i,' too hi g to hold ill one hane\. It' s
hard alld heavy, IL ex ud es a strall ge St:IISC of llultlor., and to
SOIlIcone frolll Japall (like m yself). it seellls decidedly Swi ,;s. It
('oIlLains the sanl e kind of sCll:;ibility L1tat you find in tile ,.;eriou 5
th erefore [UlIIIY or c<lmcsL (regardl ess of lIo\\' 'ssive) Li w reror('
guilde::is \Iurk of artists like fischli and Weiss and [{oman
Sign er.
The same kind o[ S\I'iss hUlllor seen ls lo ex ist in Valerio Ol uiati 'B
ar h ite(; lure. Sec, for examp} , the repealing pallern in Perm
j\luseUn1 XXI (See pp . 68-n ). Bul even 1I10 r e than tltat, h i
IX tTacliOI1 of onl y on ' part I' this pallcrn in Entrance Lo Lhe
Cri ti olL Parlialll nl Building ( ee pp, 4()- 57). Tlt e ra _Ltllal
the 1II0tif is 11IuJLipli ed and that it in a Rll ssian contex t
is surprising enough, bUL ao oUbider callfioL help b ut mil e
and hegin lTIaki ng a design wiLli CAD,
God Is Not in the Detail,;
The hu mo r Lhal is in Ol giati 's bu i.ldin gs
dorived from these oml sKct(; hcs. Thi s is lwc<lu se the forlll s
call aciJi eved with worels arc vcry lilr1iLed - stilllllorf. tll e
detail::;. Oi giati alld hi s sLafr ignore tlt e detajb and
design a::; best tltey (; <I1l \vitll Ul e inadequate signs of lall guagl'.
Tn Lh ese circllrus lall (;es. ill whi cil deLail ed (ornls arc
Lil ey sLri ve to make a stro ng space or bujlding.
an episode thal perfec Ll y ' cmpliIi es the situation, I I'd
\vith Ol giati to vi sit 11is wOTk Pl anLahof AwiiLnriulI1 pp,
Pointing to the w;oul:i ti c panel s aLfixr d to the I\alb. ".
sa id, "One of our ,[aH. Nathall , cattl e up wiLh that forfll.
bad, " Ol giati ' vi ('\I' or tlt e pall cb, which dOlllill atcd
nJOst of tlt e buildillg's illterior, suggests tlIe :special ljualitl IJI
ili s archit ecture. Tn tenll l:i of tlte that waS n-:alizl'd throll
the esscnce of Lh e uuilding, which is ill effect a prcst! lIlatiolll.
Ll w sll' uclural rel ation ship hetween verti cal wall s alld
a AS-degree sl<Lrlt , lllf' shape of L1le pall r l::; didll ' tlllall('r ill til!
sli ght es t. Alld if J might be so bold., I \I ould like Lo ,;uggcstt li,1I
()\giaU 's work displays a certain of doubt ill /'('ganltll
renwrk thalllas often heell altrii.JLltcd to \\Ii es V(\II (/( ' 1' 111.111( ': ' I
is ill Lit e detail :; ."
Architecture a ' '" R velalion"
Foproing, nldy Lool F. likc' skelche. and mod. .I, . Olgiatl tarlq
de,jgn wiLh words. ALth e; ro I of thi, a nLi-rllaLeri aLi sI11Iic.<a
rejccLi o[1 of similitud and anal ogY, "1
Ar hitcc tural design ! an act that is CO I1 Rt<l Tl tly p ur::; ued l!,'
conLradi cU.on and diffi 'LilLY. This is bec[\ui3 rl esignill f' a builll
is impossible without firsLlakin
l
' illLO aCCOunL th e cOns Lruclllln
process. As a res ul t, it is (!ssellt iall y a prot: ss of trial ;Jod crrll!
bas d on LI Ie simili tude of drawings all( l nlOdels in Lhe sLagl aL Lhi s desi gn lllal so befil s a parliament building as a forum
for cii 8cllssiolls Lhal li e somewhere between the ea rnesl alld
frivolous.
The Architecl WllO Doesn't Sketch
Let me r tum to the hourglass. Although it is probably on the
table to be used in IIlccLi II""', Lll e: meetings that take place in the
room are different frurll Lll oe at many oth r arehite lUIal finns.
Tlli ' is becaus , as a ruk Olgiati escheYI'. sketchi ng. Ie stead of
d veloping an it! by dmVl ' ]1 0" ou paper, he and his staff use
words . 'J lwy dis 'uss (i ll ciuentally, in contrast to the simple image
( l' bliilriings, Olgb li IrimseU i:o extremely loquaci ous and
at the "ame lilll t' attache' grea t ilUportaw' e to di alogue). ArLer
th y lIa\, ' reached an agre(!llI cut <llId arc cOllfidellt that all idea
posse" . a strong rOnll , Ol giati's staU lW'n Lo their cOnlputert;
that occur prior to con. tru ti on. Knowing t!tat the i,
lillI e more: thall an att l1Ipt at Similitude makes it f1l1puS,;i! 111
concei\rc of all alLernatt TIan.
OIgiati doeslI ' t helie' f' ill a clHllpromise of thi s k.illd . ITe dOt"I'
allow simi]itude to inl ' rvene in the d "sign proce. s, \\,11\:\
reliance on 'imi1Hucie prevenl' hi m from approaching trutli.
The foll oYl ing staLement. {,OITI hi.., Iconographi.c AUlu/li oglO/1!
suggest thi aLti tude: "111e Taj Mahal. To me, Llli s was 1I1It' lI'
the ultimaLe experiences; it was al most like a revclaLiol1. llli
the , to n s, \. iLh their reddi sh-urowll , ea rt h-like tUll es. ,lIld
CIl c1u s d in lJcauLi(uJ tow rs r a 'lIing toward tlIC II.. (/\ ('II , . II
"I'hi tc ntarbl f' Taj Maha! sholl e br illi anLl Tll i:- Illl"iJt 1)( , I I
ufJ(JersLood as a true rev latioo - <I purr t1I1HJjo{ h l.
It is surely (Jot a r 'r (;()i nri(\ I'nl c thal Ulgiall U!'\e:< till' ,, "nl