1958 -

 

 

Valerio completed his studies at ETH in 1986. He has taught at ETH, AA, Cornell and Harvard.

In 1996 he opened his own studio in Zurich and in 2008 in Flims, with his wife Tamara.

 

Our introduction to Valerio has been through his father Rudolf Olgiati. Rudolf paired found objects with classical Swiss architectural virtues. It has resulted in a number of wonderful and quirky works with a high degree of detailing and human adaptation. Valerio's approach can be seen as a counter reaction to his father's work.

 

Valerio's works are minimalist. His works are bare architectural statements, which in their nakedness are completely exposed and precise. It is when these strong and clear statements are coupled with a sharp understanding of place and program that we find Valerio most inspiring.

 

 

 

ATALIER BARDILL 2007

 

The theater for the musician and poet Linard Bardill is a few minutes’ walk from his residence in the small alpine town of Scharans. Linard needed a study room, which accounts for less than a third of the overall composition.

 

The building´s body fits into the existing scale. In the choice of material, the red in situ cast concrete differs from the existing wooden houses. The cast of the walls are decorated with hand-cut local woodcuts.

 

The study has a direct connection to an outdoor space covered in grass, which serves as a concert venue for the local community. The outdoor space has a very large oval opening with a fantastic contrast to the place and a direct connection to the sky. It is this connection between the earthly and the local, combined with the social and universal in this uncompromising work that interests us deeply.

VALERIO OLGIATI

SWITZERLAND