Making of Alpine Architecture : Media, Awards, and Exhibitions in Vorarlberg and Grisons

What makes some regional architecture more famous than others? The Making of Alpine Architecture investigates the cultural construction behind contemporary Alpine architecture, exploring the events, publications, and buildings that have shaped architectural discourse on an international scale. With a particular focus on the Austrian Vorarlberg and the Swiss Grisons, the book examines the underlying dynamics and traces how shifts in architectural criticism from the late 1980s onward have fostered a new cultural image of the Alps. By weaving together historiography and detailed case studies, it reveals how strategic cultural interventions not only shaped regional identity but also influenced the quality and reception of architecture far beyond the mountains.

• Examines Alpine architecture and its global reception
• Merges cultural theory with case studies including works by Peter Zumthor, Valerio Olgiati, Gion A. Caminada and others
• Identifies strategies to strengthen regional architectural identity and quality

Matteo Tempestini is an architect and PhD, research fellow with the Masterplan Team at Politecnico di Torino, where he is also a member of the Institute of Mountain Architecture and the editorial board of the journal Archalp. His main research focus is architectural criticism and culture.