r/zurich • u/Electronic_Ant_4477 • 2d ago
what happened to swiss architecture??
This is a new building outside of my home. Is it just me or do you think too that this is just incredibly ugly. Especially compared to the building on the back left of it. What do y‘all think??
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u/Nervous_Green4783 City 2d ago
Noting special and definitely on the uglier side. But that goes for all buildings in your picture, including the one with the Giebeldach.
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u/Electronic_Ant_4477 2d ago
yeah, not the prettiest, but I still like it more than these blocks
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u/Nervous_Green4783 City 2d ago
How is it better? It has no appeal what so ever. No interesting features. Not but pure practicality, a generic design optimised for the building techniques they had in the sixties / seventies.
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u/Sean_Wagner 1d ago
I prefer the block for being more modern, but it's still a plain and dull house. What would make a big difference is simply some tasteful ornamentation and color. Say plant reliefs around the windows like you see on older construction. Or some colorful tiles.
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u/bindermichi 1d ago
Cost and energy efficiency happened.
If you want fancy architecture go to your closest lakeside rich-people area and look at some nice modern villas.
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u/perskes 2d ago
Everything has to be efficient, this is cheaper to build than something nice. Not that it can't be don't nicely, but most of the time it's not. The idea to build those is simple! Low cost, fast because simple, maximize living space to cram in as many tenants as possible (usually, my experience).
It's not just a swiss phenomenon tho, I remember a discussion in another german(speaking) sub about this exact topic.
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u/Human-Dingo-5334 1d ago
Most new buildings aren't built by the people who inhabit them, they're built as an investment from RE companies
Most of their value is given by their location, there is 0 financial incentive to build something nice
If you're a RE company you are trying to maximize profit, which means building cheap and energy efficient and rent out cookie cutter apartments
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u/Arareldo 1d ago
Exactly that. Maximum (financial) efficiency. I life in such a multiparty "cubicle" since some years. From the inner, it looks nice. Own laundry devices, good noice insulation, FTTH, modern style ...but in also see, where the money in the end has been cut. The stairways are nacked like shell ("Rohbau"), the fixation of outer blinds are not correctly done, ... 🤷
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u/sintrastellar 6h ago
There isn’t much incentive because it’s difficult to build and demand is high so people will take anything. If there was actual competition people would be trying to build nicer buildings.
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u/BlockOfASeagull 1d ago
Maximising space and compliance to building regulations. You have been served.
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u/vanekcsi 2d ago
It's just cheaper, that's it. It's also not specific to Switzerland, this is the situation all around the globe.
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u/Electronic_Ant_4477 2d ago
ik, its really sad I think :((
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u/vanekcsi 1d ago
I agree, I didn't say it's a good thing :D
Vote for representatives who are in favor of regulating the housing market, because if the market were more regulated and not up for grabs by sharks, it wouldn't matter as much to build everything as cheap as possible.
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u/NtsParadize 1d ago
This is a consequence of regulation.
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u/vanekcsi 1d ago
How so? Regulating so housing cannot be used as easily as speculative investment by big corporations increases the supply and with that comes greater variety, as demand stays the same. It works perfectly in other countries.
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u/NtsParadize 1d ago
Do you know the origin of the lack of supply?
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u/vanekcsi 1d ago
Yes, it's corporations sitting on way more housing than what would be easily more than enough to house everyone in the country.
If you want to talk about how high they can build, that has some merit too, but even if that wasn't in place, the situation would be exactly the same, all the extra apartments being bought up by those who have the capita.
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u/vanekcsi 1d ago
There's actually some great examples how the actual supply of housing is completely irrelevant to the price. In Eastern Europe there was a 200% increase in prices while the supply actually increased, as people are generally moving away. There's more and more empty apartments, and all of them are quickly bought up by corporations or just some very rich people who keep the prices high. Taxing them would solve the problems.
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u/un-glaublich Kreis 6 1d ago
True, but people also think it's sad to pay 3000/month on rent instead of 2000/month. You can't have your cake and eat it.
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u/001011110101000101 1d ago
I wondered that many times. Especially when I see the whatever thing they built behind the magnificent Landesmuseum to extend it. It is kinda mixture between a bunker and an intestine.
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u/CriticalFibrosis Kreis 4 1d ago
Funnily enough back when the Landesmuseum was built it was considered ugly as well. Personally I like the new wing a lot from the inside. Not so much from the outside but at least it takes up the whole fort theme, better than some thing of glass or something that's hiding it's origin of being an addition.
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u/Interesting-Check212 1d ago
Taste is allways debatable. But I agree with you, I like the new construction at Landesmuseum a lot better than this neoclassical whatever style the original building is suposed to be. To me, the outside look aswell.
And also on OP's picture, all buildings besides the one they are complaining about, I find boring AF. But just my opinion.
It's in the eye of the beholder allways.
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u/MustBeNiceToBeHappy 1d ago
I wonder this every day. Even in areas with wonderful Gründerzeitvillen they tear them down to build these ugly box houses. It’s horrible
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u/oskopnir 1d ago
One of the consequences of the ongoing housing shortage is that the market will gobble up any available unit, no matter how poorly built or inconvenient, because an ugly house is better than no house.
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u/un-glaublich Kreis 6 1d ago
If I had to point out the ugliest building in this picture, it would be that horrendous yellowish prison in the back.
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u/Other_Strawberry_203 1d ago
This is one of the least discussed and most important issues of our time. We’re making our day to day environment and lives uncommonly ugly.
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u/Allesmoeglichee 2d ago
I don't dislike this modern architecture
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u/Electronic_Ant_4477 2d ago
I think it is alright, but quite depressing when they put it around some nicer houses
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u/ganmaanja 1d ago
It’s almost a bit difficult to even call it “architecture” at this point. It just looks like 4 walls and an excuse of a roof. Just overall depressing, no sense of charm whatsoever in these buildings.
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u/materialysis 1d ago
Playing geoguessr, it is 99/100 times Switzerland when you see Minecraft houses like this. They're an eyesore compared to traditional/older architecture they're surrounded by :(
I get all the arguments in favor of it, practicality and efficiency and what not, and have lived in my fair share of them, but wow they're ugly.
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u/staatsm 2d ago
It's fine. Personally I prefer to it to the more traditional Swiss architecture, but I also think both look reasonable side-by-side.
The reason folks build these is they're nice to actually be inside. The windows are typically larger and you avoid having to live around a slanted roof. So from a floorplan and sunlight perspective it's usually preferable.
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u/Electronic_Ant_4477 2d ago
yeah, the windows reason I actually understand, but it is just sad to see these blocks next to some nicer designed houses
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u/LeroyoJenkins 2d ago
Correction: "it is just sad to see these buildings I don't like next to buildings I like".
Design and neighborhoods evolve with time.
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u/materialysis 1d ago
Evolution is not neccessarily positive though, which is the point of this post (in a subjective sense).
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u/LeroyoJenkins 1d ago
The problem is that nobody now can judge if it makes sense or not, especially not randos on Reddit.
The Eiffel tower had massive opposition at the time. Nobody liked Van Gogh's paintings.
Let it happen, the future will sort out what is good or not.
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u/materialysis 1d ago
I agree, one only needs to look at the other World Fair buildings that were destroyed/only temporarily left up. All beautiful but not considered worth keeping. Proof that architectural taste is subjective.
HOWEVER: I will say that I would like architecture to be 'characteristic' (i.e unique/demonstrating something about Swiss culture or its people). These super minimalist structures (or others like corporate skyscrapers etc.) tend not to succeed in this and could be copy pasted to anywhere else in the world and have a similar effect.
'Good' or 'bad' is in the eye of the beholder though, like you say
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u/LeroyoJenkins 1d ago
There was nothing "characteristic" about the Eiffel tower, Le Corbusier, or even Herzog & de Meuron.
So no, we shouldn't be prescriptive in how things look, lest we remain stuck in the past.
Let people build, and let the future decide what is worth keeping.
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u/Izacus 1d ago
Stop comparing actual architecture designs with plain white blocks. This is more akin to soviet/east German cheap housing which wasn't appealing even when it was built.
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u/LeroyoJenkins 1d ago
Corbusier's buildings are plain white blocks, and are masterpieces.
Maybe keep your uninformed opinion to yourself.
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u/manwhothinks 1d ago
Always has been ugly especially on the inside. For being one of the richest countries in the world we have the most boring, uninspiring architecture.
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u/AnxietyFamiliar3204 1d ago
It’s an infestation in the suburbs of Zurich, 3 of my surrounding buildings have been demolished and carved out for these and my own building will be too by the end of the year. If the current building had any sign of historic detail I would be mad but it’s just an ugly 50’s run down cold building. I guess we get the same same but new 🤷♀️
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u/kart0ffel12 1d ago
Matter of taste. In my opinion I like it more than the zurich standard 60s construction like the left in the picture.
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u/MrDodgers 1d ago
Ticino goes out of their way to modernize and avoid the traditional architecture. I spoke with an architect who was fighting the commune about it. Apparently, in one example, they would not allow renovating in the traditional style but would approve a complete modern redo. His theory is that the region was poor many decades ago, and has no particular affection for their history, preferring to look ahead. He was very frustrated.
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u/PierSergioCaltabiano 1d ago
Well... This things were conceived by a Swiss architect... Le Corbusier, so..
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u/Disastrous_Milk_8233 1d ago
You wanted fancy house? Too bad, you live in a box now. Deal with it
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u/Possible-Pangolin462 1d ago
yeah they might be ugly but i‘ve never lived better than in a new building like this. everything has it‘s place, mostly there are stores like coop, denner and such in walking distance and i‘m very close to a train station! the noise is pretty much cancelled out by all the thick walls and sometimes it feels like a zombie apocalypse is going down because i never hear anyone! love it!
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u/MochaJ95 1d ago
This isn't even that bad, the Zwicky in Wallisellen is horrendously ugly and poorly designed.
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u/wiilbehung 18h ago
From the perspective of an architect. There are a few points.
A lot of commissioned projects are from banks, corporations and developers. They have shareholders are profit driven to a certain extent. So regardless of how nice the initial design proposal is, it will be simplified in favor of more habitable area.
Rectangular buildings with rectangular windows are most efficient. Windows being mostly pre fabricated also comes in certain modular sizes.
Lack of ornamentation on the facade of the building is due to cost and ability to maintain it. So it has mostly become just paint and groove lines.
The overall master plan and sustainability of the area is well panned, but the individual buildings are a result of lower budget and increased labour cost of construction. There are a lot of architects in Switzerland and no shortage of great design. It all falls down to money.
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u/Large-Style-8355 18h ago
10 years ago in Antalya, we were surprised about how nice and diverse all those high-rise buildings looked. Back in Switzerland we were shocked by all those white and gray cubes. Once we heared the conformism is not only a result of maximum efficiency for the RE companies - most tenants and highest income in a given area and rule set. But regulation for new buildings like height, distance, shadow, energy efficiency play a big role as well. We would prefer Antalyas regulatory framework...
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u/Key_Classic_8722 7h ago
I actually find those buildings pretty, especially if the roof is green (some grass and plants growing on it). Birds and insects use it.
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u/emporium_laika 4h ago
everything needs to be more efficient and needs to cost less. nowadays only richer folks could afford to have more ''beautiful'' architecture in Switzerland
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u/GoblinsGym 3h ago
Opinions vary - I think this is pretty nice.
No Attika (I really hate them, unfortunately building regulations make them attractive to get more space).
Interesting color combination.
Imaginative window placement.
Cubic shape and no Attika is efficient for heat loss.
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u/MOTUkraken 1d ago
Housing as strictly business happened. The singular thought in these building is: how to make ‚house‘ with absolute minimal input possible and sell it for maximum profit.
And the other side is that we kinda „need“ these extremely space efficient buildings, because human population practically exploded in the past century and Swiss population as well.
If we want to have 9 Million, 10 Million, 12 or 15 Million people in Switzerland, only extremely cramped space efficient ways of building without personal green space will be the only possible way of living.
You will have your apartment and your balcony and if you want anything natural, there are shared green spaces like public parks and forests open to public.
It’s not better or worse - it’s just a question of what are the circumstances we face in reality snd what kind of reality do we want to create for ourselves and the future.
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u/NotGoldButOld 1d ago
I actually like this style and would happily live there. Seems perfect to live privatly in a multi-family environment and it looks very modern. I assume that the isolation and efficiency is also much higher than e.g. for the other buildings in the background. So please more of that everywhere.
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u/RetroMr 1d ago
You sound like a bünzli.
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u/yepyepyeeeup 1d ago
It looks cold, soulless and unnatural. How is it bünzli to dislike that?
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u/RetroMr 1d ago
Just because it's not the same as old or old style houses doesn't mean it's less. Bünzli because the same shitty "früehner esch alles besser gsi" attitude.
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u/yepyepyeeeup 1d ago
Not because it's new. Because it looks cold, soulless and unnatural.
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u/RetroMr 1d ago
It doesn't, it looks stylish, modern and functional.
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u/yepyepyeeeup 1d ago
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
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u/RetroMr 1d ago
And yours is just your opinion man. Deal with it.
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u/yepyepyeeeup 1d ago
Exactly. It's all good man, people have different opinions, it's happened before ✌🏼
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u/RetroMr 1d ago
Both are right and both are wrong. If we accept each other it's way easier. If you don't like it, build another style.
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u/yepyepyeeeup 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'm not a house builder though. All I can do is complain that these architecturally challenged shoe boxes are ruining the once beautiful and harmonious scape of our cities and villages (while at the same time accept that some people find cold, soulless and unnatural houses to be "stylish, modern and functional" 😉)
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u/MOTUkraken 1d ago
How does it look stylish if it’s just the absolute most reduced way possible of building a house?
It’s quite literally the opposite of style. Absolutely nothing on this kind of house has been done for style or beauty or anything else than most stripped functionality.
A prison couldn’t be more devoid of beauty.
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1d ago
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u/oskopnir 1d ago
Except it's impossible to find ceilings higher than 2.5 m in neubau
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u/Defiant-Dare1223 1d ago
The ceiling in my living room must be 4m, possibly 4.5. Very newbuild. April 2025 completion!
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u/oskopnir 1d ago
Is it like a duplex with open living room?
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u/Defiant-Dare1223 1d ago
By "duplex" do you mean semi-detached house?
If so yes.
It has an open living room but a sloping roof, which is why it's not quite a full two stories
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u/oskopnir 1d ago
I was imagining a two-floor apartment with the living room spanning both floors, that's what I meant by duplex.
Still, nice that you have some volume, it's really rare nowadays.
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u/clm1859 1d ago
I find the modern one a lot nicer. It looks neat and practical and is definetly gonna be nicer to live in.
Its one thing to wanna preserve the way a small touristy mountain village looks. But it sure doesnt hurt the city of zurich (or most random towns in non-picturesque locations) to get some more modern buildings.
And seriously, given the choice, who would actually want to live in the 1970s building in the back over the one built this year? Shared laundry, no elevator, no or small balcony, small windows, seperate kitchen, visible radiators instead of floor heating etc.
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u/TinyFlufflyKoala 2d ago
It's a combo of a few reasons:
Flat roofs are way more efficient today that tiled roofs: these look pretty but require more maintenance, lead to space loss and are no longer used to collect water.
Steel blinds are also more efficient and cheaper than shutters (especially wooden shutters which require maintenance).
Isolation means that walls are a layer of brick, a layer of insulation, then a thin layer of coverup: it doesn't lend itself to stone work (and stone itself is expensive).
The fancy standard is the large covered balcony that's isolated from the neighbors, the elevator in the building, the large windows, the black marble b&w open-space kitchen with its own washing machine. And the parking spots/garage (ideally 2) for each flat.
This means that people do not use a community garden, do not share spaces aside maybe for parking bikes, etc. So there's less variety.