Herzog & de Meuron 1978-1988

Herzog & de Meuron are among the most important international architects of our time. The complete works edition published by Birkhäuser Verlag takes this outstanding status into account and presents their work in its context. Volume 1 documents the first eleven years of Herzog & de Meuron architectural practice.

During this period from 1978-1988, a methodological basis was developed on which the major projects of the following years could build. While buildings such as the "blue house" near Basel were characterized by a nature-related imagery, Herzog & de Meuron emerged almost simultaneously with designs that were so condensed that appearance, function and structure coincided. The warehouse for the Ricola company in Laufen with its shell of layered Eternit-panels is exemplary of this.

Another central theme of the first decade of works is the fundamental re-evaluation of materials. A house in a garden near Basel was constructed entirely from different types of plywood inside and out, while the exterior walls of a residential building in Tavole, Liguria, are made of layers of quarry stone. A glass shell was planned for a laboratory building in Basel, which partially detaches itself from the structure; a residential building with a gallery space lives from the diverse use of concrete. Even the early works reveal a pronounced interest in the design of the façade. Herzog & de Meuron's engagement with overarching urban planning aspects first manifested itself clearly in the Pilotengasse housing estate on the outskirts of Vienna, which they designed and realized together with Adolf Krischanitz and Otto Steidle in 1987-1992.

The pragmatic thinking for a specific place and purpose in the rapidly changing present, which characterizes Herzog & de Meuron's architectural discourse in a special way, is supported in the book by various theoretical contributions.

The central projects are each presented in detail. The appendix contains a chronology of all 47 work numbers from 1978-1988 with precise technical and bibliographical details.

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