Modernist Villages

“Modernist Villages” presents the journey of the 17th edition of the Fernando Távora Prize, covering a set of low rise / high density collective housing prototypes built in Switzerland during the decades of 1950s to 1980s.
We sought a journey with multiple perspectives that would allow for a more complete historical panorama and, at the same time, contribute to contemporary work. The trip was an indispensable tool, both in the more obvious dimension of getting to know the buildings on site and the people who occupy them, as in the opportunity to visit the archives and meet people linked to these works who generously shared their memories and ideas. This travel journal is a synthesis of this experience, articulating the theoretical dimension with the beauty of traveling and the amazement of discovering new places and people.

The book combines a research synthesis and a travel journal focused on eleven case-study buildings of low-rise, high-density housing from the 1950s to the 1980s, designed by Atelier 5, H. U. Scherer / Metron, Itten + Brechbühl, and Spirig + Fehr.

Low Rise High Density Housing Switzerland 1950-80 João Valério 9789893368541