Architect – Peter Zumthor

Peter Zumthor is a Swiss architect. He was born in Basal in 1943. His work is said to be minimalist and uncompromising. He won the Pritzker Prize in 2009 and the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 2013. He founded his firm in 1979. He has taught at the University of Southern California, at the Technical University of Munich, and Tulane University, at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He is currently at the Accademia di Architetture de Mendrisio in Switzerland. Gert Wingardh has said that he most admires Frank Llowd Wright, Hand Scharoun, Carlo Scarpa, Frank Gehry, and Peter Zumthor.

I must say I’m having a bit of a hard time with Zumthor. His work is not particularly striking (to me). Or perhaps it’s not particularly photogenic. There’s a reason he’s made the Best Liberal Arts Colleges top 10 architect list.


Elementary School Churwalden
1983, Graubenden, Switzerland




House Rath Haldenstein
1983, Graubunden, Switzerland

And now an odd question. Molly & I can’t decide if this is House Rath in Switzerland or Cloud Rock Wilderness Lodge in Utah (see below). Internet misleading on this, imagine, so if you come up with an answer. DO let us know!




Atelier Zumthor
1986, Haldenstein, Graubunden, Switzerland




Shelters for Roman Archaelogical Site
1986, Graubunden, Switzerland




Art Museum
1990, Chur Graubunden, Switzerland




Residential Home for the Elderly
1993, Masand, Graubunden, Switzerland




Gugaulun House
1994, Versam Graubenden, Switzerland




Spittel Housing Biel Benken
1996, Basel, Switzerland




Therme Vals
1996, Graubunden, Switzerland




Zumthor, Kunsthaus, Bregenz
1997, Vorarlberg, Austia




Swiss Pavillion Expo 2000
1997, Hannover, Germany




Topography of Terror
1997, Berlin, Germany




Cloud Rock Wilderness Lodge
1999, Moab, Utah




Saint Benedict Chapel
1999, Sumvitg Graubenden, Switzerland




Zumthor Bruder Klaus Kapelle Mechernich
2007, Wachendorf, Germany




Kolumba Rezbischofliches Diozesanmuseum
2007, Cologne, Germany




Serpentine Gallery Pavillion
2011, London, England




Steilneset Memorial for the Victims of the Witch Trials
A colaboration with Louise Bourgeois (Maman at National Art Gallery)
2011, Vardo, Norway




Werkraum Bregenzerwald
2012, Anderlsbuch Austria




Allmanajuvet Zink Mines
2016,Sauda, Norway




LACMA
2023, Los Angeles, California