Based on the observation that most ruins were once monuments, we are interested in exploring the relevance of public buildings today and in the near future.

Public buildings, according to our thesis, are currently experiencing a dual crisis: On a philosophical level, there is skepticism toward concepts of monumentality or the representation of a collective “we,” while on a political level, neoliberal economic ideals and austerity programs are leading to the marginalization and reduction of public building projects. Nevertheless, the “desire for a new monumentality” (S. Giedion, 1944) may not have entirely disappeared. We might ask what forms public buildings could take in today’s globalized world, which societies they might represent, and what ideals they might express. Conversely, we might also consider which societies produce which monuments.

These questions serve as a lens for us to examine and reinterpret various historical positions, texts, and buildings – aiming to develop a new, perhaps alternative, approach to the themes of „monumentality“ and „representation“. Excursions will take us to Geneva, Bern, and Zurich. In these three cities, we will visit public buildings – or monuments – of international (Geneva), national (Bern), and municipal (Zurich) significance.