معرفی
Emanuel Christ is a Full Professor of Architecture and Design at the Department of Architecture, ETH Zurich. He has held this position since 2018, following his appointment as an assistant professor at ETH Zurich from 2010 to 2015. Christ also served as a visiting professor at Harvard Graduate School of Design from 2015 to 2017 and was appointed Kenzo Tange Design Critic in Architecture at Harvard GSD in 2021. Prior to his ETH appointments, he was a visiting professor at various architecture institutes including Robert Gordon University, Accademia di Architettura Mendrisio, and the Oslo School of Architecture and Design from 2005 to 2009. He co-founded the architectural firm Christ & Gantenbein in Basel in 1998.
Christ received his architectural education at ETH Zurich, EPF Lausanne, and the HdK (now Berlin University of the Arts), graduating from ETH Zurich in 1998 under Prof. Hans Kollhoff. His early career included teaching at the Basel Academy of Art and Design (2002-2003) and working as a senior assistant at ETH Studio Basel under Professors Roger Diener, Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron, and Marcel Meili (2000-2005).
Professor Christ's research focuses on the architecture of the metropolis in the age of globalization. He examines how metropolitan growth presents both challenges and opportunities for contemporary cities, using the method of typology transfer to investigate existing metropolitan architectures as potential building blocks for sustainable, dense, and urban futures. His work spans theoretical research, design practice, and academic teaching, with particular emphasis on urban typologies, spatial organization, and the relationship between historical precedents and contemporary design challenges. Christ's teaching methodology combines typological analysis with visionary design scenarios, encouraging students to develop innovative architectural solutions grounded in historical understanding.
Christ's publications reveal consistent themes in urban density, typological studies across global cities, and the adaptation of architectural forms to contemporary social and environmental challenges. His research often bridges theoretical exploration with practical application through his architectural practice, with particular focus on the transformation of urban spaces, the relationship between architecture and landscape, and the development of sustainable urban models. His three-volume monograph Christ & Gantenbein. Projects I–III (2024) documents over 160 projects spanning 25 years of architectural practice.
- Hong Kong Typology, monograph as part of the exhibition Teaching Architecture at the Istituto Svizzero, Venice, Italy (2010)
- Iakov Chernikhov International Prize, nomination (2010)
- ar Award for Emerging Architecture, The Architectural Review (2009)
- Swiss National Museum, renovation phase 1, Zurich (2009)
- Award for Good Buildings 2008 House on Bildstöckliweg, Arlesheim (2008)
- The best renovation of 2008, Haus an der Friedensgasse, Basel (2008)
- Building Award 2006 of the Basel Heritage Society, Shedhalle at St. Alban-Vorstadt, Basel (2006)
- Architecture Award Concrete 05 Cemsuisse, Haus am Bildstöckliweg, Arlesheim (2005)
- Scholarship from the Ernst Schindler Foundation, Zurich (1999)
Through his design studio at ETH Zurich, Christ has supervised numerous student projects focusing on urban design, architectural typologies, and contemporary challenges in architecture. His teaching approach combines theoretical exploration with practical design, encouraging students to develop visionary yet grounded architectural solutions. Christ & Gantenbein, his architectural practice based in Basel, has completed over 160 projects from 1998 to 2023, as documented in their three-volume monograph. Current studio projects include 'Blatten – Building on Unstable Grounds' (Fall 2025), which addresses architectural responses to climate change and unstable landscapes, and 'The University and the City' (Spring 2025), which explores the relationship between urban spaces and university campuses.
Professor Christ leads research initiatives exploring urban-rural interfaces, metropolitan typologies, and sustainable urban development. His Mahalla project investigates courtyard typologies in Tashkent as models for contemporary urban living. He also directs the Professorship for Architecture and Design at ETH Zurich, which serves as a hub for research, teaching, and design practice in contemporary architecture. Christ's work consistently bridges academic research with practical application, addressing urgent questions about the future of cities in the context of globalization, climate change, and social transformation.
