Surprising humanity – Swiss Arc Award 2025 for the Guggach residential and commercial development, Zurich
“The Guggach settlement addresses some of the most pressing challenges facing contemporary Zurich in an intelligent and sensitive manner: increasing urban density, rising noise pollution, sustainability, social diversity and, last but not least, the quality of living. […] It is a dense, permeable and innovative project by a young firm – proof that even under difficult urban conditions, it is possible to live in high-quality accommodation: with typological intelligence, spatial rigour and surprising humanity.” These are extracts from the laudatory speech in which jury member Ludovica Molo explained the selection of the Guggach residential and commercial development as the winning project in the Swiss Arc Award 2025 in the residential category. We are delighted for the award-winning architects Donet Schäfer Reimer Architekten, who were supported in this project by LÜCHINGER MEYER PARTNER in the structural and façade design.
We would also like to congratulate Kaschka Knapkiewicz and Axel Fickert on their well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award. Our office has enjoyed many years of fruitful collaboration with the award winners, as exemplified by projects such as the Twerenbold bus terminal, the platform roofs at Zurich main station and Europaallee, and the Lokomotive, Klee, Guggach II and Vogelsang residential developments.
The Swiss Arc Award stands for diversity, quality and exchange, and honours architecture in Switzerland and Swiss architects around the globe. This year, a record number of 418 projects were submitted in the various categories.
Photo: Philip Heckhausen
