Design Wonders of the Alps
Think first of the Alps, and what will likely come to mind are its iconic peaks and alpine lakes. This area of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland is also home, however, to a number of built wonders by the world’s leading contemporary architects.
Am Olympiapark 1, 80809 München, Germany
Located across from the transparent futurescape of the Olympiapark is BMW Welt, a swirling cloud of glass and steel that serves as the automaker's premier brand experience. Designed by Vienna-based firm Coop Himmelb(l)au and completed in 2007, the...
Rennweg 3, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Completed in 2007, the Hungerburgbahn funicular carries only 130 people per train, on a nine-minute long ride. However, the striking curvilinear shapes and seemingly gravity-defying engineering has drawn over 4.5 million passengers over the past...
Europaplatz 1, 6005 Luzern, Switzerland
Completed in 2000, after a relatively short five-year period of construction, the Culture and Convention Center in Lucerne (commonly known as KKL, its abbreviation in German) is immediately recognizable due to its imposing cantilevered roof. This...
Geneva, Switzerland
Situated in the middle of Geneva's gallery and arts district, Quartier des Bains, Geneva's Museum of Ethnography (MEG) reopened in 2014 after a long awaited expansion. Designed by Swiss architects Graber + Pulver, the majority of the addition is...
