Teaching Architecture: Zumthor in Mendrisio

This publication offers a rare and fascinating insight into the teaching world of renowned architect Peter Zumthor. Based on previously unpublished material – including letters, sketches and photographs – as well as recent interviews with former students, assistants, colleagues and Zumthor himself, it examines the origins, historical context and far-reaching influence of his pioneering course “Primo Anno” (1996–1999) at the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio. The “Primo Anno” exercises form the structural basis of the book, while thematically organised interviews open up diverse perspectives on Zumthor’s thinking and his unique didactic approach. Narrative chapters connect these elements into a common thread, reflecting on the findings and placing them in a broader theoretical context. Based on his dissertation, written between 2018 and 2021, as well as previously unpublished materials and interviews, the Swiss-Brazilian architect Rafael Lorentz documents a rediscovery that not only sheds light on Zumthor’s thinking, but also reveals his formative influence on the identity of the Accademia.

Rafael Lorentz holds a PhD from Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio – Università della Svizzera Italiana and from Università IUAV di Venezia (2021). His doctoral dissertation explored the potential of teaching as a space of critical reflection for practice and was awarded the 2021 ‘prize for the promotion of research in art history’ by the Swiss Association of Art Historians. He holds a master’s degree in Theory, History and Criticism of Architecture (2016). Along with academic research, he has collaborated on the design of competition projects with local studios in Switzerland.