In Switzerland, the tower block has a specific history. It is closely linked with the emergence of the second after-war society, a society running towards growth and towards the future. The tower block was indeed one of the symbols of modern lifestyle. How did the first residential tower blocks reach half a century? Can they be rehabilitated and thus find a “second future”? Which exigencies do they have to (and can) fulfil nowadays? These are some of the interrogations that will be addressed during the talk [flyer].

Conference speaker

Maresa Schumacher holds a diploma from the EPFL; she has practiced in Chile and in Ticino. In 1998, she started working at the büro z (now yellow z) in Zürich. Since 2004, she is a yellow z associate. She has also been a scientific collaborator of the Insitut-ORL (chair of landscape architecture) of the EPFZ as well as a research expert in the “Structures” group of the European research program COST C10 “Outskirts of European cities”. Since 2009, she is the Swiss representative of the research group TU803  “Cities Regrowing Smaller”.

Photographic credit:  ©  Tearanel Te.