EM2N

EM2N
Name	EM2N
Foundation	1999
Founders	Anja Ehrhardt, Oskar M. Steiner
Headquarters	Zurich
Industry	Architecture
Notable projects	ETH Zurich campus projects, Kunsthaus Zurich projects, Zurich Main Train Station

EM2N EM2N is a Zurich-based architecture firm founded in 1999 by Anja Ehrhardt and Oskar M. Steiner. The firm has contributed to major projects across Switzerland, Germany, France, and beyond, engaging with institutions such as ETH Zurich, Kunsthaus Zurich, Swiss Federal Railways, and municipal authorities in Basel and Geneva. EM2N’s work sits at the intersection of practice and research, collaborating with universities, cultural institutions, and private developers including Hines, Zaha Hadid Architects-linked consultancies, and engineering firms like Arup and Schlaich Bergermann Partner.

History

EM2N was established in 1999 in Zurich by architects trained at ETH Zurich and the Architectural Association School of Architecture. Early commissions included competitions for municipal projects alongside offices such as Herzog & de Meuron, Santiago Calatrava, and Renzo Piano Building Workshop. The office expanded through the 2000s with commissions from institutions like Kunsthaus Zurich, Stadt Zurich, and the Swiss Federal Railways, and engaged in international competitions involving partners such as Foster + Partners, OMA, and Zaha Hadid Architects. EM2N’s timeline intersects with exhibitions at venues such as La Biennale di Venezia, Museum of Modern Art, and the Centre Pompidou, and collaborations with academic programs at ETH Zurich, EPFL, and the University of Cambridge.

Notable Works and Projects

Major projects attributed to EM2N include urban interventions and cultural buildings in Zurich, commissions for educational institutions like ETH Zurich facilities, and transport-related projects linked to Zurich Main Train Station and regional networks of Swiss Federal Railways. The firm has competed in and realized projects that brought them into contact with entities such as Kunsthaus Zurich, Tate Modern, Schauspielhaus Zurich, and municipal programs run by Basel-Stadt and Geneva Canton. EM2N’s portfolio spans residential developments tied to developers like Hines and Allreal, public housing projects in collaboration with Migros urban initiatives, and retrofit projects for institutions such as Swisscom and UBS corporate facilities.

Architectural Style and Philosophy

EM2N’s approach has been discussed in discourse involving figures and institutions such as Rem Koolhaas, Peter Zumthor, David Chipperfield, and journals like Domus and Architectural Review. Their philosophy engages with urban contexts exemplified by Zurich and Basel, programmatic strategies relevant to museum commissions like those at Kunsthaus Zurich and infrastructural dialogues associated with Swiss Federal Railways. The practice’s methods have been analyzed alongside theoretical positions from Aldo Rossi, Colin Rowe, and contemporary debates featured at Harvard Graduate School of Design and The Bartlett School of Architecture.

Key Personnel and Organizational Structure

The firm was founded by Anja Ehrhardt and Oskar M. Steiner and includes project teams that have engaged alumni from ETH Zurich, EPFL, and the Architectural Association School of Architecture. Organizationally, the office coordinates with consultants such as Arup, Schlaich Bergermann Partner, SOM-affiliated engineers, and landscape collaborators who have worked on joint projects with offices like Gustafson Porter + Bowman and Landscape Institute affiliates. EM2N also interacts with cultural managers from Kunsthaus Zurich, curators from La Biennale di Venezia, and municipal planners from Stadt Zurich and Basel-Stadt.

Awards and Recognition

EM2N’s work has been recognized in contexts including nominations and awards given by organizations such as the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture shortlist discussions, and national prizes like the Swiss Grand Prix for Architecture. Their projects have been featured in exhibitions at La Biennale di Venezia, publications by DOM Publishers, and prize lists curated by juries including members from UIA and RIBA. The office has been cited alongside laureates such as Herzog & de Meuron, Peter Zumthor, and Renzo Piano in surveys of contemporary Swiss architecture.

Publications and Research Contributions

EM2N’s work and theoretical positions appear in journals and books published by entities including Domus, Architectural Review, Birkhäuser, and ETH Zurich press materials. The practice has contributed research projects and lectures at academic venues such as ETH Zurich, EPFL, Harvard GSD, and the Architectural Association School of Architecture, and has been included in monographs alongside projects by Herzog & de Meuron, Peter Zumthor, and EMBT.

Category:Architecture firms of Switzerland