Markus Breitschmid

Markus Breitschmid
Born	(1966-04-20) April 20, 1966 Lucerne, Switzerland
Nationality	Swiss
Alma mater	Technische Universität Berlin (Ph.D)
Occupation	Architect

Markus Breitschmid (born 20 April 1966, Lucerne, Switzerland) is an internationally active Swiss architectural theoretician, historian, and author.

Biography

Breitschmid gained recognition when he published his doctoral dissertation while studying under eminent architectural scholar Fritz Neumeyer at the Technical University of Berlin in Berlin, Germany. The dissertation was subsequently published as a book titled "Der bauende Geist. Friedrich Nietzsche und die Architektur" (The Building Spirit. Friedrich Nietzsche and Architecture). Breitschmid is one of the first scholars to study the importance of "building" in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche and one of the first scholars to systematically study how Nietzsche's thought dealt with architecture. Breitschmid's book covers the subjects of Nietzsche, architecture, building, and aesthetics, and was selected as a seminal text by the Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Karlsruhe, Germany.^[1]

Breitschmid's writing concerns the aesthetic mentality of modernism and contemporary architecture.^[2] Among other publications dealing with Contemporary Swiss Architecture, Bruno Taut, Tectonics in Architecture, and Theories of Interpretation, Breitschmid has published several texts on the internationally known Swiss architect Valerio Olgiati. Breitschmid is considered to be the foremost scholar on the work of Olgiati.

Breitschmid is professor of architecture at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly known as Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, Virginia and Alexandria, Virginia since 2004. He is the former chair of the Bachelor of Architecture program. Previously, he was the "2003 Visiting Historian for the History of Architecture and Urbanism" at Cornell University, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina, and a visiting professor at The Catholic University of America and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He has lectured at many universities, museums, professional associations in the United States, Europe, and Asia, and has served as visiting critic at schools of architecture.

Published works

As author

• Der bauende Geist. Friedrich Nietzsche und die Architektur. Quart, 2001. ISBN 978-3-907631-23-2
• Can Architectural Art-Form be Designed Out Of Construction? Architecture Edition, 2004. ISBN 978-0-9702820-8-8
• Nietzsche's Denkraum. Edition Didacta, 2006. Hardcover: 978-3-033-01206-6; Paperback: 978-3-033-01148-9
• Three Architects in Switzerland: Beat Consoni – Morger & Degalo: Valerio Olgiati. Quart, 2008. ISBN 978-3-907631-88-1
• Die Bedeutung der Idee. Die Architektur von Valerio Olgiati. Niggli Verlag, 2008. ISBN 978-3-7212-0676-0
• El Inventorio Conceptual de Valerio Olgiati / Valerio Olgiati's Ideational Inventory in: El Croquis No.156, 2011. ISBN 978-84-88386-65-6
• The Architect as 'Molder of the Sensibilities of the General Public': Bruno Taut and his Architekturprogramm. in: The Art of Social Critique. Painting Mirrors of Social Life, Lexington Books, 2012. ISBN 978-0-7391-4923-2
• Christ & Gantenbein. Around the Corner. Hatje & Cantz, 2012. ISBN 978-3-7757-3381-6 [co-authored with Victoria Easton]

As editor

• Conversation with Students – Valerio Olgiati. Virginia Tech Architecture Publications, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9794296-3-7
• A Modern Milieu – Julius Meier-Graefe. Architectura et Ars Series, Volume 1, Virginia Tech Architecture Publications, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9794296-0-6
• Oneness. Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9795472-0-1
• Cenotaph for Unknown Poets. Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9795472-3-2
• Studentenprojekte/Student Projects bei/with Markus Breitschmid. Corporis Verlag für Architektur, Kunst und Photographie, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9795472-5-6
• Thoughts on Building. Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2008. ISBN 978-0-9795472-8-7
• Hedy Nerito – Fotomodella. Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2008. ISBN 978-0-9802274-0-6
• 15 Student Projects. Architecture Residency Program. Center of European Studies and Architecture. Riva San Vitale. Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and *Photography, 2008. ISBN 978-0-9795472-7-0
• Art Museum Liechtenstein – Morger & Degelo with Kerez. Architecture Case Study, Volume 1, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9802274-5-1
• Villa Garbald at Castasegna – Miller & Maranta. Architecture Case Study, Volume 2, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9802274-7-5
• House for a Musician – Valerio Olgiati. Architecture Case Study, Volume 3, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9802274-4-4
• Town Hall & Mortuary at Iragna – Raffaele Cavadini. Architecture Case Study, Volume 4, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9802274-8-2
• House Binswanger – Beat Consoni. Architecture Case Study, Volume 5, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9815553-1-7
• La Congiunta at Giornico – Peter Märkli. Architecture Case Study, Volume 6, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9802274-1-3
• House Meuli at Fläsch – Bearth & Deplazes. Architecture Case, Study Volume 7, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9795472-9-4
• Apartment Building at Horn – Beat Consoni. Architecture Case Study, Volume 8, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9815553-0-0
• Travella House – Aldo Celoria. Architecture Case Study, Volume 9, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9815553-2-4
• House on the Bischoffhöhe at Riehen – Morger & Degelo. Architecture Case Study, Volume 10, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9815553-4-8
• K + N House at Wollerau – Valerio Olgiati. Architecture Case Study, Volume 11, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9802274-9-9
• San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane – Francesco Borromini. Architecture History Case Study No.1, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9802274-5-1
• Sant'Andrea al Quirinale – Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Architecture History Case Study No.2, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9815553-3-1
• Church at Wies – Dominikus Zimmermann. Architecture History Case Study No.3, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9802274-3-7
• Neue Wache at Berlin – Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Architecture History Case Study No.4, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2009. ISBN 978-0-9802274-2-0
• Olgiati. English Edition. Birkhäuser, 2011. ISBN 978-3-0346-0783-4 (text edited with Leina Gonzalez; also available in German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese editions)
• Joao Battista Vilanova Artigas. Architecture History Case Study No.5, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2011. ISBN 978-0-9794296-5-1
• Luis Barragan. Architecture History Case Study No.6, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2011. ISBN 978-0-9794296-6-8
• Eladio Dieste. Architecture History Case Study No.7, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2011. ISBN 978-0-9794296-7-5
• Kazuo Shinohara. Architecture History Case Study No.8, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2011. ISBN 978-0-9794296-8-2
• John Lautner. Architecture History Case Study No.9, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2011. ISBN 978-0-9794296-9-9
• Caplutta Sogn Benedegt – Peter Zumthor. Architecture History Case Study No.10, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2012. ISBN 978-0-9893936-0-7
• Dhaka National Assembly – Louis I. Kahn. Architecture History Case Study No.11, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2012. ISBN 978-0-9893936-1-4
• San Cataldo Cemetery – Aldo Rossi. Architecture History Case Study No.12, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2012. ISBN 978-0-9893936-2-1
• Parc de la Villette – Bernard Tschumi. Architecture History Case Study No.13, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2013. ISBN 978-0-9893936-4-5
• Guggenheim Museum Bilbao – Frank Gehry. Architecture History Case Study No.14, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2013. ISBN 978-0-9893936-4-5
• Seattle Central Library – Rem Kohlhaas. Architecture History Case Study No.15, Corporis Publisher for Architecture, Art, and Photography, 2013. ISBN 978-0-9893936-5-2
• Architecture and the Ambient – Mario Botta. Architectura et Ars Series, Volume 2, Virginia Tech Architecture Publications, 2013. ISBN 978-0-9893936-5-2

References

• Breitschmid, Markus. Die Bedeutung der Idee in der Architektur von Valerio Olgiati / The Significance of the Idea in the Architecture of Valerio Olgiati. Sulgen/Zürich: Niggli Verlag 2008, p. 78
• Breitschmid, Markus. Three Architects in Switzerland. Beat Consoni – Maroger & Degelo – Valerio Olgiati. Lucerne: Quart Publishers 2007, p. 169

External links

• Virginia Tech Website
• German National Library; Markus Breitschmid
• Markus Breitschmid publications
• newswise.com Markus Breitschmid publications
• tu-cottbus.de: biography