Simonett & Baer indexes the work of Herzog & de Meuron
Inspired by the many Herzog & de Meuron works of architecture in his home city of Basel, publisher Dino Simonett has created a technicolour tome as an index, a tribute and a celebration of the international work of the architects

Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Thank you for signing up to Wallpaper. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Basel-based publisher Simonett & Baer has released a book charting the first 500 projects of international architecture firm Herzog & De Meuron. The fly-through index of projects from 1978 to 2019 offers a page-turning outtake of the studio’s evolution, scope and breadth.
Covering plenty of ground, the book’s simple presentation makes it all the more engaging. Each project is dedicated just one landscape image, a title and a number. Four projects occupy each double page spread – the rhythm is tangible.
Projects both realised and unrealised include the most recognisable hits – the VitraHaus, Prada Aoyama, Tate Modern, Beijing’s National Stadium, the Elbphilharmonie. There’s plenty of discovery, and rediscovery, from Studio Remy Zaugg in France, to the Napa Valley Dominius Winery or the Naturbad Riehen. Not to mention competition entries, research studies and website redesigns.
‘How exciting it is to stroll around the world, starting in Basel and ending in Harvard,’ write the publishers in their 2020 catalogue that features news, art and antics from Dino Simonett and Martina Baer. Simonett moved to Basel in 2016 with his family, and spent longer than necessary unpacking because each evening he was studying the architecture of Herzog & de Meuron (chronologically) found all over his new home city. This book is made as a ‘tribute to Herzog and de Meuron and to the city that became our new home,’ he writes in his Editor’s Note.
In the introduction, Michel Kessler, ETH Zurich-trained architect and Herzog & de Meuron employee 2012–13, unwraps the studio’s ‘quasi-archaeological tactics’ starting with the 1979 remodelling of the Marttplatz in Basel. Then, picks black nylon garments designed for Prada, to reveal the variation that has positioned Herzog & de Meuron as a ‘sensory hinge’ between the 20th and 21st centuries – ‘between the clear, cold forms of modernism and the intelligible, digital age.’
This limited edition of 2000 is a useful and beautiful addition to any shelf. While the 200-run Collector’s Edition is a unique piece of art – the rainbow cover has been silkscreen printed on linen and the book signed by Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron.
INFORMATION
Herzog & de Meuron 001 – 500, paperback edition, €68
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Harriet Thorpe is a writer, journalist and editor covering architecture, design and culture, with particular interest in sustainability, 20th-century architecture and community. After studying History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Journalism at City University in London, she developed her interest in architecture working at Wallpaper* magazine and today contributes to Wallpaper*, The World of Interiors and Icon magazine, amongst other titles. She is author of The Sustainable City (2022, Hoxton Mini Press), a book about sustainable architecture in London, and the Modern Cambridge Map (2023, Blue Crow Media), a map of 20th-century architecture in Cambridge, the city where she grew up.
-
Best new lighting designs to brighten up your space
From ruby red pendants to sculptural table lights, we bring you the brightest moments from the latest in lighting design
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Ceramicist Jonathan Cross on crafting art from desert materials in the Mojave
Jonathan Cross’ flourishing practice incorporates local sand and stones from his base on the edge of Joshua Tree to create minimalist works with a unique patina
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
A courtyard pavilion at The OWO provides the perfect outdoor centrepiece
A courtyard pavilion housing Café Lapérouse at The OWO is an architectural feat by DaeWha Kang Design
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
CERN Science Gateway: behind the scenes at Renzo Piano’s campus in Geneva
CERN Science Gateway by Renzo Piano Building Workshop announces opening date in Switzerland, heralding a new era for groundbreaking innovation
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Architecture books to inspire shelf love
Here at Wallpaper*, we’ve got architecture books piling up; among them, these are the photographic tomes, architects’ monographs and limited editions that we couldn’t resist
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Herzog & de Meuron’s SIP Main Campus weaves together nature and sculptural concrete
SIP Main Campus, a new workspace by Herzog & de Meuron, completes on the Swiss-French border
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Studio Tropicana, Switzerland and Italy: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023
Based in Switzerland and Italy, Studio Tropicana is part of the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Royal Academy’s Herzog & de Meuron show in London spotlights architecture for care
The Royal Academy of Arts launches its Herzog & de Meuron exhibition in London; we speak to them about the show, their approach to healthcare architecture and caring, and their rich body of work
By Amah-Rose Mcknight Abrams Published
-
Pioneering modernist Henry Kulka's life and career tracked in limited-edition monograph
Czech-New Zealand architect Henry Kulka, a man who spread modernist ideals half way around the world, is celebrated in Giles Reid and Mary Gaudin’s richly illustrated monograph
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Nordic architecture explored in Share, a book about contemporary building
Discussions about Nordic architecture and contemporary practice meet in a new book by Artifice, Share: Conversations about Contemporary Architecture – The Nordic Countries
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
London Feeds Itself: we are hungry for Open City's book on food and architecture
London Feeds Itself, a new book by Open City, is a scrumptious offering that connects food culture and architecture
By Nick Compton Last updated