The main focus of his work is the museum architecture, the Kunstmuseum in Basel and the renewal and extension of the Swiss National Museum, being the most important examples of his work. Besides his work in the field of museum architecture, Emanuel has also produced a huge body of architectural work both in Switzerland and beyond its borders: private houses, renovation of historic buildings, office buildings and urban plans. He is also involved in teaching and academic research; he is currently assistant professor at the ETH Zürich and was visiting professor at Harvard University in 2015.