Massimo Vitali, Picnic Alée, 2000
Modulverantwortung: Felix Wettstein, Peter Althaus
Lehrteam: Céline Bessire, Felix Wettstein, Matthias Winter, Stefan Wülser
Assistants: Tobias Furter, Qendrim Gashi, Shehrie Islamaj, João Moreira
PERMANENT VACATION is the theme linking three distinct studios, all aiming to sustainably transform our living environment in its social, economic, and ecological complexity:
IN THE SHADOW OF MASS TOURISM. Interlaken is a touristic hub and gateway to iconic Alpine spots like Grindelwald and Jungfraujoch, hosting over 3.5 million overnight stays yearly. But beyond its postcard landscapes lies an lesser-known reality: an invisible infrastructure that keeps the tourism engine running. We explore this hidden side—its systems, its workers, and the shadows cast by the industry’s machinery.
PERMANENT VACANCY – The (Under)Grand Hotels of Lucerne. The Grand Hotels of Lucerne are the epitome of a frivolous, extravagant tourism colonizing the image of the city. Their unreal beauty rests on a financial reality that allows for nearly half of all rooms to remain vacant throughout the year, an immense urban energy yet to be explored. Together with the underground youth culture of Lucerne, an erratic engine of public space and urban life, we will crossbench the grandeur of these large vessels by intersecting the circuits of the cosmopolitan Grand Hotels with the movements of hyperlocal players and organizations.
SIMULTANEITY. Our prosperous, late-modern society finds structure along the boundaries of domestic space and its longing for the remote. Though these realms may lack clear boundaries, they claim and dominate space. Our studio aims to bridge these gaps by developing enthusiastic counterproposals to an architecture of zoning and grand tours. We will design sufficient homes for a permanent vacation: spaces where domestic care and wild carelessness coexist; spaces for 365 exciting days.
Events
Midterm Review
Thursday, 6th November 2025
Final Review
Thursday, 15th January 2026