Valerio Olgiati

Valerio Olgiati

http://www.olgiati.net/contact_link-book.html

After graduating from ETH Zurich, Valerio Olgiati first lived and worked in Los Angeles and later in the 90s in Zurich. Since 2008 he and his wife Tamara run an office in Flims. They are currently living mainly in Portugal.

Olgiati understands his role as an architect who thinks and creates space. His architecture is cultural and not political. In his office as well as in his teaching he operates in an independent way. He is interested in an architecture that emerges from an idea. Even if Olgiati is fascinated and inspired by old architectures, he does not place value in the use of precedent study or typology. He considers experience of space as the basis to form an architectural oeuvre today.

The most important solo exhibition about Olgiati’s work took place in 2012 at MoMa Tokyo. He has taught at ETH Zurich, at the AA in London and at Harvard GSD in Cambridge. Today he is a full professor at the Accademia di architettura in Mendrisio at the Università della Svizzera Italiana and he is an honorary member of the SIA (Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects).

The Olgiati’s currently work on commercial and cultural projects as well as private houses in Europe, the US and the Middle East.

Interview with Valerio Olgiati, Absolute Timelessness, you can read in Oris 124+125.