Iron Roof Structures by Bosshard & Cie: Case Studies in Switzerland

Abstract

In Switzerland, bridges and iron structures are imported until the second half of the nineteenth century, a time when local companies emerge to regain local markets. Progressively, projects are given to local contractors instead of being appointed to foreign companies. Arnold Bosshard & Cie, based in Näfels, Schwyz is an example of an iron company, which progressed from bridge structures to iron roofs. This research focuses on the company’s evolution and its contribution to iron implementation in Switzerland. The assessment is based on particular examples that provide an insight in the company’s production, among which the dome of the Neue Kirche in Enge, Zurich and illustrate how Bosshard & Cie evolved from a local iron producing workshop to a larger scale company with national presence.