For his free Master’s thesis, Tobias Furter investigated the urbanised landscape in Switzerland. He selected the area between the municipalities of Horw, Kriens and Lucerne as the case study.

The title of the thesis is derived from the Arch+ issue of the same name, which deals with the third volume of Peter Sloterdjik’s Sphärenwerk, entitled ‘Schäume’. In this volume, the German philosopher writes a history of humanity that is based on the question how humans live (together). At the same time, the term ‘architectures of foam’ describes the spatial phenomenon of the urbanised landscape. Similar to a natural foam, this space is constantly reforming. The work acknowledges the resulting friction as a potential. Its speculative perspective transforms the unintentionally occupied, the accidentally created – all the rest – into a multi-layered starting point.

Plans

Car park plan

Plot plan

Floor plan Basement Schweighof

Floor plan existing Ziegeleipark

Section existing Ziegeleipark

Floor plan existing highway A2 / nightclub Vegas

Section existing Nidfeld

In the initial phase of his project, Tobias Furter examines and interprets the existing spatial stock of the urbanised landscape. This landscape is the result of the sum of existing, real spaces, as well as their already existing theoretical and artistic superstructure. In a second phase, Furter attempts to continue writing on the existing situation. In doing so, he translates the findings from the first part into new, concrete spatial situations. At their centre, new – perhaps unusual – neighbourhoods open up between architecture and infrastructure.

Models

Final critiques

Thesis book