12–2025

Provisional

What does Zurich’s Hardbrücke have in common with the Eiffel Tower in Paris? In fact, neither of them should still exist today. The planned lifespan of the wrought iron tower for the 1889 Paris World’s Fair was just ten years, while the concrete bridge that was opened in 1972 was intended just as a temporary solution until the planned Zurich Y-expressway was opened. But, as we know, both structures still exist today. Once a show of constructional strength, today the Eiffel Tower is a perennial tourist attraction and a highlight of the urban silhouette of Paris. And more than 50 000 vehicles still drive along Zurich’s western tangent road every day. When plans to expand the road traffic system were dropped as a consequence of citizens' protests, the Hardbrücke became a long-term solution. It was last renovated in 2011. Several bus lanes, wider bike paths and, most recently, a new tram line have made this important bottleneck more suitable for public transport. There is a fine line between temporary and permanent, which is exactly what we address in this issue.

The story of the provisional that becomes permanent has often been told. But this does not make it any less topical. In times when many buildings have a lifespan of barely 50 years, we can also learn from temporary structures how to design and construct buildings that are more durable. Especially among young architects, one notes an affinity to commissions for temporary structures, which at times turn out to be spatial interventions or performances. In terms of content the introduction to this volume is formed by a conversation we had with Leonid Slonimskiy from Kosmos Architects as well as Dafni Retzepi and Philippe Buchs from the Geneva office Sujets Objets. We spoke to them about the potential of the ephemeral, time as a factor in architecture, and about the way the image of the profession is changing. Increasingly, our task as architects will be to curate space and materials — in the short term and permanently. In a stimulating discussion it once again became clear just how blurred the boundaries are and how temporary the permanent also is – and vice versa.