Valerio Olgiati

World-renowned architect Valerio Olgiati was born in Switzerland in 1958. After studying at ETH Zurich, he lived and worked in the city before spending some years in Los Angeles. He founded his eponymous studio in Zurich in 1996, with another office opened in 2008 in Flims. Renouncing the traditional concept of design and the minimalist label, the architect often creates buildings reminiscent of a temple, with a monumental character that is visceral and intellectual at the same time. His projects feature walls with a deceptively minimalist appearance hiding intricate structures and intentionally confusing and intriguing layouts. A guest professor at Cornell University and at ETH Zurich, Olgiati now teaches at the Università della Svizzera italiana and holds the Kenzo Tange Chair at Harvard University.