Christian Kerez

Christian Kerez (born 27 May 1962 in Maracaibo) is a Swiss architect, architectural photographer and a university professor.
Biography
Christian Kerez studied architecture at ETH Zurich until 1991 and then worked with Rudolf Fontana in Domat/Ems. Kerez started out with architectural photography and founded his architecture office in Zurich in 1993. Christian Kerez has been working at the ETH since 2001, first as a visiting professor, from 2003 as an assistant professor and since 2009 as a professor; he invited Raphael Zuber, Hermann Czech, Arno Brandlhuber, Bijoy Jain, Anne Holtrop, Go Hasegawa, Smiljan Radic and Junya Ishigami. Between 2012 and 2013 he held the Kenzo Tange Chair at Harvard University Graduate School of Design in Cambridge. At the 15th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale Kerez designed the Swiss Pavilion.
Work
Kerez has photographed for Valerio Olgiati, Herzog & de Meuron, Bearth & Deplazes and Miroslav Šik.
At the office of Rudolf Fontana
1992–1993: Oberrealta Chapel, Cazis
1992–1993: Mortuary, Bonaduz
Own buildings
1998–2000: Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Vaduz with Morger & Degelo, Basel
1999–2003: Apartment building on Forsterstrasse, Zurich
1999–2003: Schoolhouse Breiten, Eschenbach
2002–2009: Schoolhouse Leutschenbach, Zurich with landscape architect Maurus Schifferli
2004–2007: House with one wall, Zurich
2006–2013: House with a Lakeview, Thalwil
2006–2014: Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw competition 1st prize
2008: Holcim Competence Center, Holderbank competition 1st prize
2009–2014: House with a missing column', Zurich
2009–2013: Porto Seguro Housing Development Project, Paraisopolis, São Paulo
2013–2018: Office Building, Lyon Confluence Îlot A3, Lyon
2013–2021: House Tomio Okamura, Prague
2021: The Bahrain Pavilion at Expo 2020, Dubai (delayed one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic)
Awards and distinctions (selection)
1999: Swiss Art Award
2005: Betonpreis 05, 1st prize for the apartment building on Forsterstrasse, Zurich
2011: European Steel Design Award, for school building Leutschenbach Zurich
2012: Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects
2012: Kenzo Tange Chair for Architecture, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Cambridge
2014: recognition - Daylight-Award for school building Leutschenbach Zurich
2015: Holcim Awards Europe 2014, Honorable Mention to energy-efficient office building in Holderbank, Switzerland
Bibliography
Gerold Wiederin, Helmut Federle: Nachtwallfahrtskapelle Locherboden. Publ. by Kunsthaus Bregenz with Edelbert Köb, text by Johannes Gachnang, photo-essay by Christian Kerez, Verlag Gerd Hatje, Stuttgart 1997,
Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Morger Degelo Kerez Architects, texts by Hans Frei, Friedemann Malsch, Norbert Jansen, photo-essay by Thomas Flechtner. Lars Müller Publishers, Baden 2000,
Valerio Olgiati, Das Gelbe Haus, Kunsthaus Bregenz, archiv kunst architektur, Werkdokumente 19, 2000, Hatje Cantz Verlag, ISBN 3-7757-1004-3, 82 pages
Les échelles de la réalité. L’architecture de Christian Kerez. Exhibition catalogue. Texts by Martin Steinmann and Christian Kerez, EPFL, Lausanne 2006
Conflicts Politics Construction Privacy Obsession. Materials on the Work of Christian Kerez. Texts by Hubertus Adam, Marcel Andino, Hans Frei, Tibor Joanelly. Moritz Küng (ed.) and deSingel international arts campus, Antwerp and Hatje Cantz Verlag, Ostfildern 2008,
El Croquis 145: Christian Kerez 2000-2009. Fundamentos arquitectonicos, basics on architecture. Texts by Georg Frank, Hans Frei and Christian Kerez, El Croquis, Madrid 2009,
Christian Kerez: Uncertain Certainty, Publ.: Toto, Tokyo 2013,
El Croquis 182: Christian Kerez 2010-2015. With a Glossary by Christian Kerez, El Croquis, Madrid 2015;
Exhibitions (selection)
2006: Les échelles de la réalité. L’architecture de Christian Kerez, with catalogue, EPFL Lausanne
2006: Innenansichten, Arbeiten von Christian Kerez, Swiss Architecture Museum, Basle
2008: Progetti 1988–2007, Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio
2008: Conflicts Politics Construction Privacy Obsession, De Singel Int. Art Campus, Antwerp and CASA Vertigo/ Technische Universiteit, Eindhoven
2009: Traum & Wirklichkeit, aut. architektur und tirol, Innsbruck
2010: People meet in Architecture, Italian Pavilion (participation), 12th International Architecture Biennale in Venice, curated by: Kazuyo Sejima
2013: Contrast & Continuity, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Cambridge
2013: The Rule of the Game, Toto Gallery MA, Tokyo
2016: Incidental Space, Pavilion of Switzerland, 15th Venice Biennale
References
Footnotes
External links
Christian Kerez Official Website
ETH Zurich, Christian Kerez Chair of Architecture and Design
1962 births
Living people
Swiss architects
ETH Zurich