Kantonsschule Menzingen KSM

The former Bernarda Teacher Training College in Menzingen was built from 1955 to 1958 by the two renowned Zug architect teams led by Hanns A. Brütsch and Alois Stadler, as well as Leo Hafner and Alfons Wiederkehr. The school complex, situated on a hilltop amidst the picturesque landscape between Lake Zug and Lake Zurich, is an extraordinary example of Swiss architecture from the 1950s. The complex impresses with its dramatic location, the harmonious arrangement of five highly individualized buildings around a cloister-like center, and the striking design of the outdoor spaces by landscape architect Ernst Cramer.

From 2017 to 2019, the complex was exemplary renovated and expanded by the Zurich architects Bünzli & Courvoisier. The project was strongly oriented towards the urban planning and architectural design principles of the existing structure, while also developing the building stock in a collage-like manner, thereby giving the complex a respectfully staged extended narrative.

The book documents, on one hand, the original complex with original plans and sharply defined black-and-white photographs by the renowned Lucerne photographer Peter Ammon. On the other hand, it extensively reflects and documents the exciting, exemplary renewal of the complex.