Switzerland’s Tourism Industry Ditches the Chalet for Modern Architecture
Skift Take
Switzerland is shifting away from tradition and triteness with a headturning array of next-generation architecture for hotels, convention spaces, and attractions.
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The Swiss have an impressive legacy of innovation in many industries, ranging from transportation and timekeeping to finance and fonts. But you wouldn’t know it based on Switzerland’s architecture. The Swiss pretty much slept through the explosion of high-tech design in the late 20th century, sticking with its Romanesque vernacular, 19th century rowhouses, a bit of post-mod 1980s, and the trusty Swiss chalet.
Today is a different story. A slew of edgy hotels and conference centers are opening in Zurich, Basel, Davos, Lausanne and Lucerne. It’s all part of an aggressive attempt among locals to transcend the country’s conservative reputation as the world’s bank, cheesemaker and chocolate factory.
Everything changed in September 2006 when the Freitag brothers bolted together 19 shipping containers to build their FREITAG shop in the burgeoning ex-industrial neighborhood of Zurich West. They needed a pl
