{"id":8435,"date":"2023-11-27T15:36:24","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T14:36:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/2023\/11\/27\/verfechter-des-oeffentlichen-raums-2-2\/"},"modified":"2025-04-23T17:33:50","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T15:33:50","slug":"verfechter-des-oeffentlichen-raums-2-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/2023\/11\/27\/verfechter-des-oeffentlichen-raums-2-2\/","title":{"rendered":"An Advocate of Public Space"},"content":{"rendered":"G\u00fcnther Vogt is one of the most sought-\u200bafter landscape architects of our time. He has opened the eyes of an entire generation of architects to public space. After 18 years as an ETH professor, he is now retiring.<\/em>\n\n\n\nIf you walk across the Millennium Bridge to the south bank of the Thames, you suddenly find yourself in front of a dense stand of birch trees framing a green meadow. It\u2019s a place where people picnic and while away the hours. Behind it, the mighty brick building of the Tate Modern \u2013 a former oil-\u200bfired power station that was converted into a museum of modern art in 2000 \u2013 casts its shadow over the riverside promenade. The design for this small but famous piece of \u201cnature\u201d comes from one of the most sought-\u200bafter landscape architects of our time: G\u00fcnther Vogt.\n\n\u201cThe forest is intended to refer to the location\u2019s industrial past, as birch trees typically grow on industrial wasteland and often near rivers,\u201d Vogt explains. For over 20 years, this Liechtenstein native has been designing gardens, parks and landscapes all over the world \u2013 including the gardens of the Eiffel Tower, the outdoor areas of the Allianz Arena in Munich and the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, as well as the Masoala Hall at Zurich Zoo. And for 18 of those years, he was Professor of Landscape Architecture at ETH Zurich. He retired at the end of July and is now Professor Emeritus.\n\n \n\n\n
\n
\"Das
Das Birkenw\u00e4ldchen vor der Tate Modern (Bild: Christian Vogt)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Das
Das Birkenw\u00e4ldchen vor der Tate Modern (Bild: Christian Vogt)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Die
Die G\u00e4rten des Eiffelturms (Bild: Christian Vogt)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Die
Die G\u00e4rten des Eiffelturms (Bild: Christian Vogt)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Der
Der Aussenbereich der Allianz Arena (Bild: Christian Vogt)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Die
Die Masoala-Halle im Zoo Z\u00fcrich (Bild: Christian Vogt)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n

At home walking<\/h3>\nVogt\u2019s departure from ETH Zurich was atypical: instead of a farewell lecture, he invited people to take a walk from the Polyterrasse in Zurich along the River Limmat to Fahr Abbey. From the city out into the country, past beautiful places like the Josefwiese city park, but also less inviting places like a motorway bridge. For Vogt, both belong to what he calls the urban landscape.\n\nSuch walks have a special meaning for him: \u201cGoing for a walk is a chance to collect images that I can draw on when designing.\u201d The process of walking is what creates Vogt\u2019s inner archive. And this goes back to his childhood.\n

Botanical backpack porter<\/h3>\nAt a young age, Vogt developed a fascination with plants of all kinds. As a nine-\u200byear-old, he was allowed to accompany the experienced botanist Heinrich Seitter on countless forays through the countryside. \u201cI carried his backpack for him, and soaked up everything he said about plants.\u201d\n\nVogt started horticultural school in Oeschberg in the canton of Bern at the age of 16; by then he could already draw on considerable botanical knowledge, which he steadily expanded in the years that followed. His inner archive grew and grew.\n

Kienast and Vogt<\/h3>\nVogt then went on to study landscape architecture at the then Intercantonal Technical College in Rapperswil, where he found a mentor and companion in Professor Dieter Kienast. In 1995, the two set up a joint office. \u201cIn the beginning, we didn\u2019t have much to do, so we had a lot of time to talk about landscape architecture in depth,\u201d Vogt recalls.\n\nFor the young landscape architect, this dialogue with the older and more experienced Kienast was formative. He would never work so intensively with another person again.\nBut the working partnership with Kienast came to a tragic end far too soon: he died in 1998 after a brief but intense illness. \u201cDieter\u2019s death was a turning point. My most important sparring partner was suddenly no longer there. I had to rebuild everything and expand the circle of people I could talk to.”\n

Focus on larger scales<\/h3>\nTwo years after Kienast\u2019s death, Vogt opened his own office. From then on, his projects focused primarily on public spaces. He was usually concerned with large-\u200bscale projects that go far beyond individual building plots. Regardless of whether he is designing a park or an entire district, the main question is always the same: In the public space, what is the relationship between this place and the city and its culture? For Vogt, understanding the context is the basis for every design.\n\nIn West London, for example, he wants to transform the roof of a huge industrial gravel quarry into a public park that blends into the Green Belt around the city. And in Hamburg, Vogt is designing the outdoor areas for a new district on the Grasbrook peninsula: parks, promenades, squares, street spaces and courtyards together form a new urban landscape between the river and the port, integrating the port area into Hamburg\u2019s urban fabric.\n\n \n\n\n
\n
\"Der
Der Entwurf f\u00fcr einen Park im Westen Londons (Bild: Vogt Landschaftsarchitekten)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"In
In Hamburg entwirft Vogt die Aussenbereiche f\u00fcr einen neuen Stadtteil auf der Halbinsel Grasbrook (Bild: Herzog und de Meuron \/ Vogt Landschaftsarchitekten)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Parks,
Parks, Promenaden, Pl\u00e4tze, Strassenr\u00e4ume und H\u00f6fe bilden zusammen eine neue Stadtlandschaft zwischen Fluss und Hafen… (Bild: Herzog und de Meuron \/ Vogt Landschaftsarchitekten)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"...
… die das Hafengebiet in das Stadtgef\u00fcge integriert (Bild: Herzog und de Meuron \/ Vogt Landschaftsarchitekten)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n

‘Open spaces are a city\u2019s most important resource.’<\/h3>\nIn such large-\u200bscale projects, the landscape architect increasingly acts as an urban planner, taking into account social, economic and ecological issues of urban coexistence as well as vegetation and topography. According to Vogt, the difficulty lies in reconciling the needs of very different users whilst at the same time creating an atmospheric space in which people will still feel comfortable in 30 years\u2019 time.\n\nVogt sees open spaces as a city\u2019s most important resource. That\u2019s why he\u2019s critical of the tendency to privatise public space: he feels urban planning must not degenerate into the management of residual areas. Only with sufficient open and green spaces can cities withstand climate change and remain liveable in the future. \u201cIn some metropolitan areas,\u201d he points out, \u201cwe\u2019ll have to create actual ventilation corridors to channel fresh, cold air into the city centres.\u201d\n

Uncovering nature<\/h3>\nWith his designs, Vogt repeatedly succeeds in bringing out the natural characteristics of a place and making them tangible. One example is the Novartis Campus Park in Basel, where he has created deeply carved paths from exposed river sediment. This gives rise to an artificial landscape between the upper parts of the park and the Rhine, providing a stage for \u201cnature\u201d.\n\n \n\n\"\"<\/a>\n\nVogt\u2019s landscapes and parks showcase not only his knowledge of plants, hydrology and geology, but also his sense of cultural context. \u201cPeople\u2019s understanding of what a landscape is varies greatly from country to country,\u201d he says. For example, when Vogt learned that many British people work at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, he suggested that the outdoor areas should be laid out with lawns rather than paths. Much to employees\u2019 delight: \u201cPeople from Great Britain truly have an erotic relationship with lawns,\u201d Vogt offers in explanation of this positive reaction to his plans.\n\n \n

\"\"<\/a><\/h3>\n

Collaboration with artists<\/h3>\nIn 2012, Vogt was awarded the Prix Meret Oppenheim by the Swiss Federal Office of Culture for his successful combination of landscape architecture and art. There was particular praise in the media for a series of exhibitions and interventions with the Icelandic-\u200bDanish artist Olafur Eliasson.\n\nAt Kunsthaus Bregenz, the two brought simple natural phenomena such as fog, earth and water into the museum. In Ebeltoft, Denmark, they used round mirrors that reflect the sky to recreate the appearance of a lost glacial landscape. And in Basel, they flooded the Fondation Beyeler art museum. Almost a dozen aquatic plant species floated gently in the bright green water. \u201cIt was all new territory for Olafur and me,\u201d Vogt says. \u201cHe went into the landscape as an artist, and I went into the museum as a landscape architect.\u201d\n\n \n\n\n
\n
\"Nebel
Nebel im Bregenzer Kunsthaus (Bild: Christian Vogt)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Wasser
Wasser im Bregenzer Kunsthaus (Bild: Christian Vogt)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Vogt
Vogt und Eliasson lassen im d\u00e4nischen Ebeltoft eine Gletscherlandschaft wieder auferstehen (Bild: Iwan Baan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Die
Die Fondation Beyeler unter Wasser (Bild: Vogt Landschaftsarchitekten)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n

Taking responsibility for public spaces<\/h3>\nWhen Vogt joined ETH Zurich in 2005, he was only the second professor of landscape architecture at the Department of Architecture after Christoph Girot. Together, they were committed to ensuring that architecture, urban design and landscape architecture are taught together. They founded the Institute of Landscape Architecture and, after years of effort, succeeded in introducing a separate Master\u2019s programme in Landscape Architecture in 2020 \u2013 the first at a Swiss university.\n\nIn his teaching, too, Vogt focused on large scales and public spaces. He has made an entire generation of architects at ETH Zurich aware that they must take responsibility for public space, think beyond the individual plot and understand a place within its larger context.\n\nVogt was known among his students for his open and inquisitive nature \u2013 and for good food. To loosen up discussions with his students, he would regularly gather them around the dining table in his office. \u201cCooking, eating and drinking together created a family atmosphere and eased some students\u2019 fears and insecurities,\u201d Vogt says.\n\nNow that Vogt has retired, ETH Zurich has lost a pioneer of Swiss landscape architecture. But he certainly won\u2019t get bored even though he\u2019s no longer teaching. With offices in Zurich, London, Paris and Berlin, Vogt still has his hands full. He has deliberately chosen not to leave his students and his successors any good advice. Because every generation has to go its own way, just as he has done ever since he was young.\n\nThe original of this article was published at ETH-News om 14.11.2023.<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

G\u00fcnther Vogt is one of the most sought-\u200bafter landscape architects of our time. He has opened the eyes of an entire generation of architects to public space. After 18 years as an ETH professor, he is now retiring.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8369,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"departemente":[155,228,117,209],"newsletter_ausgabe":[347],"class_list":["post-8435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsletter-articles","departemente-department-of-architecture-d-arch","departemente-former-chairs","departemente-institute-for-landscape-and-urban-studies-lus","departemente-prof-dr-h-c-guenther-vogt-institute-for-landscape-and-urban-studies-i-lus","newsletter_ausgabe-nl-60-2"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":38,"label":"Newsletter-articles"}],"departemente":[{"value":155,"label":"Department of Architecture (D-ARCH)"},{"value":228,"label":"Former Chairs"},{"value":117,"label":"Institute for Landscape and Urban Studies (LUS)"},{"value":209,"label":"Prof. em Dr. h. c. G\u00fcnther Vogt"}],"newsletter_ausgabe":[{"value":347,"label":"NL 60"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image.imageformat.carousel.87730292-scaled-1-1024x512.jpg",1024,512,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Yaxin Hou","author_link":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/author\/houya\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":38,"name":"Newsletter-articles","slug":"newsletter-articles","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":38,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":680,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":38,"category_count":680,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Newsletter-articles","category_nicename":"newsletter-articles","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8435"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8435\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8437,"href":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8435\/revisions\/8437"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8435"},{"taxonomy":"departemente","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/departemente?post=8435"},{"taxonomy":"newsletter_ausgabe","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xoxo.capsule.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newsletter_ausgabe?post=8435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}