Miller & Maranta - Interventions

Curator: Michal Škoda

The architectural studio Miller & Maranta based in Basel is among the leading studios of the current generation of Swiss architects. Its founders are architects Quintus Miller (*1961, Aarau) and Paola Maranta (*1959, Chur). During their studies in architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich in the studio of Fabio Reinhart and Miroslav Šik, both encountered the analog architecture shaped by Aldo Rossi, and after various joint projects, they decided to establish their own studio in 1994. The works they have gradually realized, such as the Volt School in Basel, the Färberplatz market in Aarau, the Schwarzpark residential building in Basel, the renovation and extension of Villa Garbald in Castasegna, or the Old Hospice at Gotthard Passhöhe, have been published and awarded several times, also bringing them success on the international stage. Since 2013, they have invited Jean-Luc von Aarburg as a partner in their studio.

The urbanistic and architectural formulations of Miller & Maranta respond differently to aspects of specific local situations but always in a contemporary language. Typical features of their work include significant attention to the memory and atmosphere of the place, with a strong focus on the sensitive selection of materials, and not least, they also engage with the quality of sound and light conditions. Through their confident and independent buildings, they interpret the specificity of place in new ways – such that they overlay the site with their interpretation of the task.

The exhibition designed by the Miller & Maranta studio for the České Budějovice gallery offers insight into the work and processes of this architectural studio. The project specifically prepared for this occasion comprises works placed in a spatial context through large-format photographs, where the images, reaching almost to the ceiling of the individual rooms, allow visitors to move among the depicted buildings. Due to their extraordinary size, the images become physically tangible, allowing for an unusual approach to architectural works.

The concentrated presentation of contemporary projects in the form of oversized photographs enables a deeper and more multilayered viewing experience, corresponding to the associative approach of the architects in their designs.

Quintus Miller received a degree in architecture from ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in Zurich in 1987 under Fabio Reinhart and worked as a design assistant at EPF (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in Lausanne and at ETH in Zurich from 1990 to 1994. After working at EPF in Lausanne (2000 – 2001) and at the Accademia di Architettura, Università della Svizzera italiana (2007 – 2008) as a visiting professor, he also worked as a visiting lecturer until 2010 at ETH in Zurich. Since 2009, he has been a full professor of Architecture at the Accademia di Architettura, Università della Svizzera italiana in Mendrisio. Quintus Miller was a member of the Commission for Urban Development of the city of Lucerne from 2004 to 2008. From 2005 to 2016, he was a member of the Heritage Commission of the city of Zurich, and since 2011, he has been a member of the Heritage Council of the Canton of Basel-City.

Paola Maranta studied architecture at EPF in Lausanne and at ETH in Zurich, where she completed her studies in 1986. After obtaining a Master of Business Administration degree from IMD (International Institute for Management Development) in Lausanne, she worked from 1990 to 1994 first as a business consultant at McKinsey & Company, and in 1994 she co-founded their architectural studio. She also served as a visiting professor at EPF Lausanne and at the Accademia di Architettura, Università della Svizzera italiana, and as a visiting lecturer at ETH Zurich. Paola Maranta was a member of the Urban Building Commission of the Canton of Basel-City from 2001 to 2005, and from 2002 to 2019, she served on the Local Building Commission of the municipality of Riehen.

Jean-Luc von Aarburg (*1975, Liestal) studied architecture at EPF in Lausanne, at Delft University of Technology, and at ETH in Zurich, where he completed his studies with a degree in 2001. Since 2001, he has been collaborating with the studio Miller & Maranta, since 2007 as a member of the management and since 2013 as a partner. In the 2009–10 academic year, he served as a visiting lecturer at ETH in Zurich, representing the visiting Miller & Maranta.