Peter Zumthor

Peter Zumthor (b. 1943 in Basel, CH) is a Swiss architect and an international authority in his field. In 2009 he was honoured for his complete oeuvre with the Pritzker Architecture Prize. Zumthor was the son of a cabinetmaker and he also learned this trade. Starting in 1963 he studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule (Arts & Crafts School) in Basel. During the middle 1960’s minimalism was coming to the fore and he became interested in architecture. In 1966 he studied at the Pratt Institute in New York. After his studies he worked on restoration projects for the conservation of monuments in the Canton of Graubünden. In 1979 he started his own architectural office in Haldenstein, Switzerland. Since 1996 he has also been professor at the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio, Switzerland. Zumthor’s buildings excel in the sophisticated texturing of materials and the play of light and craftmanship.