The Stiftung Architektur Schweiz SAS (Swiss Architecture Foundation) presents the second edition of the Swiss Architecture Yearbook. The exhibition opening and book launch of SAY 2025/26 took place on September 26, 2025, at the S AM Swiss Architecture Museum in Basel. SAY creates an ongoing archive of architectural production in Switzerland. It promotes awareness of Swiss building culture among the general public and strengthens national and international exchange.
In spring of last year fifty nominators from all parts of the country were invited to each select five projects for SAY 2025/26. The nominated projects were to date from within the last two years, and three of them were to be located in the region of the respective nominator. Together they now form a map of Switzerland that includes all the country’s regions, a representative image of the culture of architecture in this country.
The Swiss Architecture Yearbook (SAY), published biannually, is an inspiring and informative source for a wide audience interested in architecture. It reflects the country’s remarkably diverse architectural production and discusses current trends and challenges in design and construction. Moreover, it provides international visibility for the outstanding quality of Swiss architecture and building culture.
At the beginning of October each of the architecture offices involved presented a poster of their nominated project for the selection process. Chaired by Regula Lüscher, former Senate Building Director of Berlin (Winterthur/Berlin), the broadly-based selection committee was made up of Sofie de Caigny, Head of Collections at the Nieuwe Instituut (Rotterdam), Mia Hägg, architect (Paris/Locarno), Jean-Paul Jaccaud, architect (Geneva), Corinna Menn, architect (Chur/Zürich) as well as the artistic directors of the yearbook, Andreas Ruby (S AM) and Roland Züger (wbw).
This committee made its selection from the 158 submitted projects in a series of intensive discussions held over a period of two days. The committee decided on 30 projects and four special mentions. Divided up into six themes, these good projects selected from among many beautiful ones are presented in the Swiss Architecture Yearbook. Essays by renowned authors accompany the projects and shed light on current trends in Swiss architecture:
▪ How to achieve optimum quality in the internal development of settlements?
▪ What role do green outdoor spaces play in the development of built-up areas?
▪ What are the responsibilities of commissioners and clients in ensuring that good projects are made?
▪ How can we best preserve and transform our built environment while retaining memories?
▪ Which innovative solutions in the areas of structural design and building construction characterize architecture today?
▪ Which activist initiatives advance the building culture in Switzerland?
The yearbook and its accompanying exhibition were on view at the S AM Swiss Architecture Museum from 27 September to 9 November 2025. The exhibition complements the documentation of the selected projects in the book by offering insight into the selection process. Both the publication and the exhibition were accompanied by a series of discussion events, turning the project into a platform for public debate on regional and supra-regional themes. After its first stop in Basel, the exhibition will travel across all regions of Switzerland in 2026, continuing the dialogue throughout the country and beyond.
