The institution of the Swiss competition procedure

Theoretical frames: Field of cultural production, Actor-Network Theory (ANT), Critical Geography
Methods: Mixed Methods, Experimental methods, statistics
Key authors: B. Latour, P. Bourdieu, J.L. Violeau, V. Biau, J.P. Chupin, H. Lipstadt, P. Raisbeck

Abstract

Architectural competitions in Switzerland are characterized by a number of factors that make them exceptional: almost total openness to foreign practitioners and young architects, a large number of procedures launched in relation to the size of the country, and a preponderance of open procedures all contribute to Switzerland's reputation as a land conducive to the emergence of new trends and players. Media professionals and clients alike agree on this point: the Swiss architectural competition is a cultural asset, a factor of excellence that must be recognized, protected and reproduced, not least for the quality of the works it is capable of bringing to light.

But what are the externalities of this exceptionality? What networks of agents support this institution, and to what extent are they in a position to make the most of their contribution?

Goals

The research work carried out as part of the EPFL doctorate will provide:
- The identification of architecture firms and competition archetypes in all Swiss linguistic zones;
- A link between archetypes and the "design technology" of firms;
- Identify the agency of the various archetypes, and their position in the national hierarchy;
- Information on the socio-material network constituted by the institution of the competition and the way it influences the functioning of procedures;
- The formal and social mechanisms of reproduction that can be observed within the "field" of the Swiss competition;
- The influence of the system described on the architectural artifact resulting from the competition process.