Baukultur movement

A truck drives on the Sunnisberg bridge towards a mountain landscape. The picture conveys an atmosphere of departure. — Sunnisberg bridge (GR).
© FOC / photo Rolf Siegenthaler

Everyone is talking about Baukultur and its associated Baukultur concept is growing in popularity in Switzerland and internationally. A Swiss initiative, the Baukultur concept was internationally and strategically embedded in the Davos Declaration 2018. Efforts to achieve high-quality Baukultur have been growing ever since. They range from regional initiatives and strategies through, nationwide organisations to international networking committees. like the Davos Baukultur Alliance, which includes government offices and civil society organisations as well as the private sector.

Two of our neighbouring countries have established institutions at national level to strengthen Baukultur and promote dialogue on the subject: the “Plattform Baukulturpolitik” in Austria (since 2005) and the “Bundesstiftung Baukultur” in Germany (since 2007). Many other countries have established Baukultur policies and implement them using such terminology as “architectural policy” or “policy for the built environment”.

In Switzerland, the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA) set up the “Runder Tisch Baukultur” in 2010 to establish a Baukultur network with the different involved parties. The “Manifest zur Baukultur” was published the following year. In its cultural policy statement (Kulturbotschaft 2016–2020), the parliament mandated the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) to develop a policy for a high-quality Baukultur in cooperation with all the relevant federal offices The Federal Council approved the interdepartmental Baukultur policy in February 2020. The Federal Council defines the policy implementation measures for each legislature in the Baukultur action plan. The Baukultur 2024-2027 action plan was approved in December 2024. The “Kulturbotschaft 2021-24” elaborated the Baukultur concept further and systematically integrated it into cultural policy. In the “Kulturbotschaft 2025-28”, the parliament defines culture as a dimension of sustainability, making it one of six action areas. The Confederation’s Baukultur policy is a central vector within that.

The FOC shapes and coordinates federal national and international Baukultur policy. That demonstrates its commitment to suitable cooperation formats with all relevant players.