Provincial town wins architectural accolade

A hidden gem – this 1999 building blends in perfectly with its surroundings swissinfo.ch

Altdorf in central Switzerland has been given the prestigious Wakker heritage prize for successfully combining the care of its old buildings with the flair of the new.

The Swiss Heritage Society (SHS), which handed over the prize on Saturday, said it was honouring Altdorf for its consistently high standards in town planning and construction.

“I must say that when I first heard that we were on the shortlist for the Wakker prize, I felt quite uneasy about it,” said Altdorf official Anton Arnold, turning his gaze to some of the town’s less than beautiful buildings.

“Nevertheless, we managed to point out some striking points,” added the head of the town’s construction department.

The prize has put Altdorf – population 8,000 – firmly into the national spotlight, a development welcomed by its mayor Barbara Bär-Hellmüller.

She believes the accolade will act as a spur for architects and developers. “In the future it will something special to be able to build in Altdorf,” said Bär-Hellmüller.

Altdorf is the capital of canton Uri and lies near the Gotthard transit axis. It has a long history – it is said to be where Swiss folk hero William Tell shot the apple from his son’s head – and is notable for its well-restored churches, cloister and 16th – 18th century manor houses.

While praising the town for its care of its older buildings, the SHS also pointed to the “astounding multitude of successful new buildings”.

A walk through the centre reveals many architectural gems, such the extension to the St Karl school complex, a detached house made of exposed concrete or a contemporary style glass facade.

Strict policy

But these developments did not come about by chance. Altdorf has been operating a strictly regulated building and construction policy for almost two decades.

Architects are encouraged to compete for building or renovation work contracts from the local authorities.

In addition, a district development plan has been drawn up to stop urban sprawl and panels of experts keep a check on all construction projects.

“This forward-looking policy regularly leads to discussions and arguments,” Arnold told swissinfo.

“The town’s executive has, however, always seen its decisions through unwaveringly and with integrity and has not been afraid to do so,” he added. “The procedures are clear and transparent.”

The authorities did not even flinch in the face of strong opposition from businesses to having a pedestrian zone in the town centre. Nowadays, people wonder how cars and delivery lorries could ever have passed through the narrow streets.

There has also sometimes been disapproval over the awarding of contracts to external architects, who have chosen not to hire local building companies to carry out the work.

Arnold says this is the price to pay in a small town. “The market is limited here and we are surrounded by the mountains.”

Cold shoulder

He has even had cases of people – and even old school friends – giving him the cold shoulder.

“But it also happens that colleagues compliment me on my work and concede that their competitor was better,” added Arnold.

The authorities have also been encouraging quality in private building projects as well, through competition, advice and financial benefits.

“It makes just as much sense here to check several working hypotheses and choose the best one,” commented the official.

However, whereas somebody buying a toothbrush will often carefully weigh up what is on offer and which colour they want, it can be rather different when it comes to building homes, noted Arnold.

“Somebody who wants to invest the whole of their savings into building their own place often simply goes and gives the contract to his friend at the bowling club.”

swissinfo, based on a German article by Andreas Keiser in Altdorf

Wakker Prize

The Wakker Prize of the Swiss Heritage Society has its origins in a legacy bequeathed by Henri-Louis Wakker (1875-1972) of Geneva.

The prize has been awarded annually since 1972.

Previous winners include Delémont, the capital of canton Jura (2006) and Swiss Federal Railways (2005).

Altdorf’s stone walls

Altdorf is well known for its old stone walls. They are unusual for this part of Switzerland.

The walls total 16 kilometres in length and are found all over the town.

At one time they were at risk of falling down, but 8 km have since been repaired. The remainder will also eventually be restored.

It is part dry stone wall and part mortar wall up to 3 m high.