Zürich Urban Elements. A Lexicon

Abstract

As part of the first year course 'Grundlagen der Geschichte und Theorie der Architektur I 2018/2019', the Chair for the History and Theory of Urban Design has invited students to unlock their (un)conscious experience of the urban environment. They were asked to explore the city of Zürich by looking at its constituent urban elements: ranging from streets and sidewalks, to façades and entrances, balconies, streetcorners, and windows. Some of these elements are generic, whole others are places-specific. In Zürich, particular urban elements negotiate the topography, or offer access to the lake or the river. Elements like monuments celebrate the community, while others, like the city's numerous fountains, serve it. Students were asked to analyse this variety of urban elements in the form of a diptych: a combination of text and drawing. Together, these diptychs construct a Lexicon of Urban Elements that speaks of the characteristics and qualities of the city of Zürich.