Cornelia Escher

Cornelia Escher is an Assistant Professor (Junior Professor) of Architectural History and Theory at the Düsseldorf Art Academy, where she coordinates the cooperation with the Ungers Archive for Architectural Studies in Cologne. She holds a doctorate from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and previously served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Konstanz. During the 2024/25-2025 winter semesters, she is on leave to hold a professorship at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.

Her research intersects architectural history, material studies, and global perspectives, with emphasis on:

• Colonial architecture in Cameroon/Togo
• Architectural media and representation
• Sustainability in modernist projects
• Postcolonial urban landscapes

Recent publications focus on decolonial approaches to architectural photography, social dimensions of materiality in postwar structures, and ecological reinterpretations of modernist archives. Her work frequently engages with experimental collectives like GEAM and the legacy of Oswald Mathias Ungers.

Teaching includes seminars on:

• Global architectural histories
• Architecture/media relationships
• Postindustrial urbanism
• Ecological design theories

She co-curates exhibitions at institutions like CIVA Brussels and FRAC Centre, exploring architectural archives through themes of materiality and social practice.