Interview with Peter Märkl

It is generally known that your teachers were architect Rudolf Olgiati and sculptor Hans Josephsohn. How did you meet these creators, and could you summarize what they taught you the most?
During my studies at high school, my physics teacher, who knew I wanted to become an architect, said to me: “You should go to Rudolf Olgiati.” That was my first contact with my future profession.
The ETH also played an important role. About three or four semesters into my studies, I read in the newspaper a large article about sculptor Josephson, saw his work, which I liked. I called his studio and arranged a visit. When I knocked on the door, he tersely told me: “I don’t take any students,” to which I responded that I didn’t want to be a sculptor; I wanted to be an architect. And the ice was broken.
I attended lectures at ETH and often interacted with these two personalities, who were a generation older. There were significant differences between Olgiati and Josephsohn; we discussed Olgiati's houses with Josephsohn, but I can't imagine the two of them together. There were also differences between both men and the education at ETH.
But all of this provided me with a large amount of material that I initially didn't understand or comprehend. Somewhere inside me, I was storing it, and it forms the basis of my knowledge.
I started studying in 1972; I came after graduating from high school, the maturity examination, to the university. I was an adult man, but I didn’t understand a single word of the language of architecture. I listened to lectures at ETH, for example, on classical modernism; I perceived them but did not comprehend.
The question was whether I would admit to myself that I didn’t know the language of architecture. I admitted it to myself and began to discover it from the very beginning. I didn't do anything I didn't understand, and I still try to adhere to that.
The most exciting aspect of the profession you pursue is interest. Interest raises questions. If I don’t seek answers, it means that I am not interested in the profession. I am guided by questions and the desire for knowledge, not by fees.
With Olgiati, we spoke about design and space. He was fascinated by the theme of intimacy, home, or nest, which he developed in his residence in the mountains in the town of Flims. He drew from his passion for ancient domes, the legacy of Le Corbusier, and traditional agricultural farmhouses that are typical for Switzerland. For me, they are the greatest treasure of Switzerland.
With Josephsohn, we talked about art, sculpture, film, painting, politics, women... in short, about everything that forms life.
The language of architecture is geometry, which we must learn. It is a similar process to when we learn what the letter A looks like. How long does it take to learn all the letters in the alphabet so well that we can assemble them into a letter that communicates what we want? For me, the tool is not the word, but the eye, which I had to train.
Architecture is not just the use of walls, windows, and doors; it is a path through which we achieve a certain feeling or mood using these means.

When you became a teacher, you traveled with students from ETH mainly to Italy to look at monuments that are over 500 years old. What do you primarily point out to students during these visits to these buildings?
The overarching theme was that I knew that in Italy, the construction culture and culture in general are most concentrated. The cities, individual houses, and epochs that we know and are part of our culture have a special atmosphere that arises from understanding the person as an individual.
I still remember one of the trips to the Palladian villas. I told the students that one way they could learn something is by observing Palladian villas. Palladio is simply one of the most important architects for us. Part of our work is to build on the knowledge of predecessors and develop their understanding. That is what we call culture. Palladio designed absolutely economically, and the classicism that arises from him is a textbook for me. He used elements of architecture sparingly, some only in suggestion. He knew that the eye would fill in the gaps.

Your early projects of concrete houses did not emphasize the perfection of concrete, as we are used to from Swiss architects. You admit to a tolerance for mistakes that do not turn out to be substantial in the end.
Yes, I completely agree; one can only say yes. The question is so well formulated that one can fully agree.

From the floor plans or individual elements of your new buildings, a piece of history breathes simultaneously referring to ancient temples or palaces. Are you intentionally trying to connect your designs with the past?
No, not in this sense. A person naturally works with what the past has prepared.
I start from the present, comparing my work with what I see around me, but history is naturally present in my work.
We cannot adopt history one-for-one; we have completely different conditions.

Almost in every realization, you can find Josephsohn's sculpture or relief. Does this habit have a deeper meaning for you, and how do clients perceive these artworks?
Collaborating with others is a natural inclination; it has always been and will be, it is natural. It was undoubtedly a great fortune for me to be so close to Hans Josephson's work. I knew it, I observed it.
Once I was intrigued by plans that included the work of sculptor Giacometti. However, I would have to steal his works; I couldn't afford them. But I could afford Josephson's sculptures. So, I began to create suitable locations for his works in my projects. The design worked together with the sculptures; they had to be there, and thus the clients accepted it.

You have taught at various universities, including ETH, yet you remain skeptical of today's architectural education. Do you believe that your path, where a person decides to draw knowledge from one master, is the one you would recommend?
Yes, my path is worth recommending. I believe that the foundation of architectural education is design; all other subjects should be subordinated to it. Parallel to design, statics, construction, and cultural history should be taught, as they are inseparable from design. Cultural history means history, culture, political contexts, urbanism, religion... A person must know the contexts of a place to understand it.
Other subjects one can learn on their own if they want; I wouldn’t teach those at all. But those four main subjects must be conveyed.