SWITZERLAND

The title of the Swiss project, “Endgültige Form wird von der Architektin am Bau bestimmt” (translated: The final form is determined by the female architect on site), references a note by Lisbeth Sachs (1914-2002) regarding her design for the Fine Arts Pavilion at the Swiss National Exhibition of Women’s Labor (SAFFA) held in Zurich in 1958. The programmatic intent is twofold. On one hand, it highlights the importance of the decision-making process on site as a crucial moment in defining the final architectural form. On the other hand, it rediscovers the figure of one of the first female architects officially registered in Switzerland. The final question posed by the five curators of the Annexe collective is: “What if it had been Lisbeth Sachs, instead of Bruno Giacometti, who designed the Swiss Pavilion?”