Image: Elisabeth Heller

Ganz Landscape Architects’ studio will be closed for the Christmas holidays. You can reach our team again starting 3 January 2022.
We wish you all happy and peaceful holidays!

Work on the grounds of the new Uri Cantonal Hospital is taking shape. The temporary parking lot was opened up recently, and everyone is now used to the new parking situation. Preparations for the production of the recycling (RC) material are nearly completed. The material will now be crushed and then prepared and installed on site. For the emergency entrance driveway, the base layer has already been installed; this completed the temperature-critical work for the winter.

The grounds of the Hofacker school complex in Zurich, newly designed by Ganz Landscape Architects, are currently under construction in stages. Artist Piero Maspoli has been commissioned to sculpt a drinking fountain in granite. He has just sent us greetings from his workshop, with the following words:

"Dark/light, hard/soft, round/razor-sharp, With happy greetings, Piero".

We have finished laying out the plant materials for the gardeners to plant on the roof of the new Uri Cantonal Hospital, which is currently being renovated and rebuilt. We followed a carefully devised plant concept. The composition of the vegetation is inspired by the alpine environment, with its typical alpine roses, mountain alders and dwarf mountain pines. Enhanced with native and species-rich herbaceous vegetation, the planting design recreates the look of the rocky and stony alpine landscape of Uri. In the future, the new visual connections and views from the inpatient wards are designed to be beneficial and soothing.

The monograph ‹Ganz› is presenting a choice of ten recent projects of the last years in German and English. The project are arranged according to different themes making a book that forms a cabinet of curiosities of the work of the atelier. With essays written by Elisabeth Heller, Sophie von Schwerin, Elisabeth Bronfen, Katia Frey, Tom Emerson, Christian Inderbitzin, André Rey, Nemanja Zimonjic, Angelo Garoglio and Jonathan Binns.

The studio is presenting in this monograph ‹Swiss Contemporary Landscape Architecture› a choice of ten recent projects of the last years in German and English. The first part of the book presents ten projects from different periods, made for different situations. They are arranged according to the themes of art, history, pleasure, collection, work, pictures, nature, cooking, aesthetics and music; making a book that forms a cabinet of curiosities of the work of the atelier. An essay written by a guest author serves as an introduction. This essay is followed by a series of photographs made by Daniel Ganz with his own beloved Leica Q, which show a personal view of each project. Each chapter is drawn to a close by a short description and key information. The second part of the book presents the attitude towards landscape architecture and the working philosophy of the studio.

In 2010, Ganz Landscape Architects together with Zurich architects Darlington Meier won the competition for the new business high school/specialized upper secondary school and for the rebuilding and expansion of the Theiler Areal in Zug. After a long hiatus, the project has taken a new form, with a new programme.

In the future, a new building for the state archives will be constructed. The Theilerhaus and the Shedhalle with the Museum for Prehistory, the multi-purpose room, and the school lunch room are to be repaired and improved.

Ganz Landscape Architects are building the outdoor spaces taking into account the existing relicts of the industrial area. The gently rising terrace character merges with the forecourt and provides a raised seating area for outdoor dining in front of the bistro in Theilerhaus. The Theiler courtyard provides relaxation spots for the school lunch hour and the bistro seating area in morning sun. A park-like industry garden with a water feature and seating areas under small groups of trees provides areas for relaxing, meeting others, and quiet getaways.

Ganz Landscape Architects went on an excursion to Turin, Italy. On the first day, Turin artist Angelo Garoglio led us on a tour of the city centre, spoke on the history of Turin, and showed us the beautiful grand squares and baroque buildings. The high point of the day was visiting `Casa Mollino`, where Fulvio Ferarri told us about the famous architect, engineer, designer and photographer, Carlo Mollino. The next day we went to the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo and the baroque gardens of Villa Della Regina, a palace in Turin.  We then toured Castello Rivoli, a museum devoted to contemporary art, and learned about the life and work of Achille Bonito Oliva, one of the most influential curators and historians of contemporary art. During our stay in Turn, we enjoyed culinary pleasures and savoured the celebration of dining together with enthusiasm in the Italian way.

Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama (b. 1987) is showing in an impressive exhibition at REITER "VANISHING POINTS. 2014 - 2020". For his site-specific installation, the artist assembles a hundred old wheelbarrows that he collected from workers in Ghana in exchange for new models. The rusty, battered wheelbarrows bear evident traces of daily hard work and can be understood as its symbols.

R E I T E R | Leipzig
Spinnereistraße 7 / Halle 6
D-04179 Leipzig

Opening Hours
Tuesday - Friday 11 am - 6 pm
Saturday 11 am - 4 pm

At the beginning of this year Ganz Landscape Architects, in the team of Stücheli Pestalozzi Schiratzki Architects, won the competition for the Pünt housing complex in Egg/ZH.

The placing of the building structures is relaxed and at the same time interconnected, which creates open outdoor spaces with generously sized, connected areas. Elements of the surrounding cultural landscape join together in the visual appearance of the new residential environment. An extensive garden landscape in harmony with nature and with a rural feel provides larger common areas as meeting places for the residents as well as smaller retreat niches with an intimate character. The design of the grounds provides a habitat not only for residents but also for birds, insects, and butterflies, and well-chosen plants and materials guarantee well-balanced biodiversity.

We began pre-project work several weeks ago and look forward to the further planning steps. 

The architectural competition for the Rotbuch housing estate has been decided: We are very pleased that the jury has selected the team of Edelaar Mosayebi and Inderbitzin Architekten AG and Ganz Landscape Architects BSLA from Zurich for this new building project.

The jury praises Volière as a project that forms a symbiosis with the existing nature. The valuable tree population will be maintained. The historical water feature will be made accessible via steps from Rotbuchstrasse. A rock garden will be incorporated into the existing landscape as a new element, and the heart of the new construction will be a gravel area as a communal space. As a whole, the project has cleverly developed a design language that conveys the feel of an ‘enchanted’ garden, basing on historical fragments and on the existing vegetation while meeting today’s utilisation needs as well as climate and ecological requirements. 

Ganz Landscape Architects will have summer holidays from 26th July to 6th August 2021. During this time we will be working with a reduced staff. The entire team will be back at work for you on 9th August 2021.

We have completed the redesign of a small garden courtyard of a residential home in the ‘Oberes Alpengut’ row of houses in Winterthur. A south-facing hortus conclusus (enclosed garden) offers an intimate space for contemplation. We proposed to the client a lush planting composition for viewing. We selected plant material from a broad palette of contrasting leaf shapes that provide not only a mixture of textures but also variations in green hues. The blossoms of some flowering plants provide colour as a subtle aspect across the seasons  – without ever overpowering the composition.

We love the skilled trades! Just recently we visited the workshop at Suppiger Cooperage in Küssnacht. That’s because together with Hamper von Niederhäusern, we are currently developing a wooden fountain for the Allmend school complex in Zurich. Going to the coopering workshop gave us the opportunity to discuss the production process for the fountain on site. We are very pleased about this collaboration with Suppiger Cooperage and are excited to think that when it is ready, the new wooden fountain will be installed at the school complex next year.

Galerie Bildhalle in Zurich is currently presenting an interesting solo exhibition of photographs by Simone Kappeler, FALLING OUT OF TIME.

Kappeler’s subject matter covers the entire spectrum of classical photography: landscape, interiors, still lifes, everyday scenes, portraits. The photographs are taken in the context of her surroundings at home and in the course of numerous travels. Her versatile oeuvre features a striking variety of styles.

Bildhalle AG
Stauffacherquai 56
CH-8004 Zürich

From 22 April to 3 July 2021
Wednesday – Friday: 12 – 6:30 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Artist Markus Kummer is selecting a boulder from each of the 20 communes of Uri. On site at the park, boulder will be cast in a form in a concrete block and then sawn through the middle. The sawing will make visible the stone’s inner life formed over the millennia. The end result will be 40 cubes of different sizes that will be placed in the new hospital park in cooperation with Ganz Landscape Architects. This art contribution explores the interplay between applied arts and fine arts, between utilitarian object, plinth and work of art in the park.

Museum Langmatt in the Art Nouveau villa belonging to the industrialist couple Sidney and Jenny Brown-Sulzer is currently presenting a solo exhibition by Rose Wylie (born in 1934 in Kent, England) with her large-format paintings. A visit to the exhibition is particularly worthwhile. The pictures by British artist Wylie are touching in their lightness and playful naivety. The motifs are unusually carefree and colourful and oscillate between surreal pop, comic and wild punk.

The 100-year-old park with its architectural style that surrounds the villa is also worth a visit.

Museum Langmatt
Römerstrasse 30
5401 Baden

The exhibition runs through 24 May 2021.

Tuesday to Friday 2–4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

One of the many unanswered questions in art is the one relating to its origins. The discovery of Palaeolithic cave paintings towards the end of the 19th century radically changed views concerning the beginnings of art.

The Museum Rietberg presents the worth seeing exhibition “Art of Prehistoric Times – Rock Paintings from the Frobenius Expeditions”.

till 11th July

Museum Rietberg
Gablerstrasse 15
CH-8002 Zürich

Monday, Thursday-Sunday 10am to 5pm
Wednesday 10am to 8pm

Short walk with curator Richard Kuba
 

Daniel Ganz speaks to students at Studio Tom Emerson in the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich. Ganz’s talk will be recorded on video and can be streamed via a link on Tuesday, 13th April 2021.   

In his ‘The more, the merrier’ project, Zurich artist Roland Roos is developing a specially devised fountain next to the main entrance in the schoolyard of the new Allmend school complex, which will be completed in spring 2022. The fountain will operate without an external source of electric power and will only flow when it is raining. Ross is currently testing this humorous intervention in a 1:1 model.

Daniel Ganz speaks to students at Studio Tom Emerson in the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich. Ganz’s talk will be recorded on video and can streamed on Tuesday, 9 March 2021.

Effective immediately Ganz Landscape Architects will be working from home. We can be reached by e-mail and telephone as usual. We will continue to hold discussions meetings using the platforms Teams, Zoom and Skype.

As landscape architects we are concerned with the question of nature every day. We carefully read the locations and sites that we are working on and interpret their backgrounds. Based on that, we develop specific themes and bring them to life in a project. For the new Allmend school complex, Ganz Landscape Architects—commissioned by the City of Zurich—is planning a new, location-specific nature space: As a ‘green intervention’, a Forest Room will be created on the school roof. The Forest Room will give students a place to take a break as well as serve as an outdoor laboratory. The starting point of the design is Sihl Valley, with the Sihl River and extensively wooded lateral moraines. Completion of the new school complex by the Zurich architects of Studio Burkhardt is planned for spring 2022.