Peter Zumthor is a Swiss architect whose work is frequently described as uncompromising and minimalist. Though managing a relatively small firm, he is the winner of the 2009 Pritzker Prize and 2013 RIBA Royal Gold Medal.

Peter Zumthor’s best-known projects are the Kunsthaus Bregenz (1997), shimmering glass and concrete cube that overlooks Lake Constance (Bodensee) in Austria; the cave-like thermal baths in Vals, Switzerland (1999); the Swiss Pavilion for Expo 2000 in Hannover, an all-timber structure intended to be recycled after the event; the Kolumba Diocesan Museum (2007), in Cologne; and the Bruder Klaus Field Chapel, on a farm near Wachendorf.

1. Thermal Vals, Switzerland | Peter Zumthor

15 Works of Peter Zumthor Every Architect should visit - Thermal Vals, Switzerland
View of the exterior – Thermal Vals

Year: 1996
Type: Hospitality
Location: Vals, Graubünden, Switzerland

2. Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria

15 Works of Peter Zumthor Every Architect should visit - Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria
Exterior view from the roadway – Kunsthaus Bregenz

Year: 1997
Type: Public
Location: Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria

3. Kolumba, Germany

15 Works of Peter Zumthor Every Architect should visit - Kolumba, Germany
Exterior shows the entrance – Kolumba

Year: 2007
Type: Art Museum
Location: Erzbischöfliches Diözesanmuseum, Cologne, Germany

4. Serpentine Gallery Pavilion (Temporary)

15 Works of Peter Zumthor Every Architect should visit - Serpentine Gallery Pavilion (Temporary)
View of the temporary structure- Serpentine Gallery Pavilion (Temporary)

Year: 2011
Type: Pavilion
Location: London, England

5. Saint Benedict Chapel, Sumvitg

15 Works of Peter Zumthor Every Architect should visit - Saint Benedict Chapel, Sumvitg
Side View – Saint Benedict Chapel, Sumvitg

Year: 1988
Type: Chapel
Location: Sumvitg, Switzerland

6. Shelters for Roman Archaeological Site, Chur

15 Works of Peter Zumthor Every Architect should visit - Shelters for Roman Archaeological Site, Chur
View of interior – Shelters for Roman Archaeological Site, Chur

Year: 1986
Type: Museum
Location: Chur, Graubünden, Switzerland

7. Residential Home for the Elderly, Masans

15 Works of Peter Zumthor Every Architect should visit - Residential Home for the Elderly, Masans
View of linear building – Residential Home for the Elderly, Masans

Year: 1993
Type: Residential
Location: Kronengasse, Masans, Chur, Switzerland

8. The Unterhus Houses (Zumthor Vacation Homes), Leis

15 Works of Peter Zumthor Every Architect should visit - The Unterhus Houses (Zumthor Vacation Homes), Leis
A midday view in the monsoon – The Lies House

Year: 2009
Type: Private House
Location: Leis by Vals, Switzerland

9. Topography of Terror

15 Works of Peter Zumthor Every Architect should visit - Topography of Terror
Exterior view along with the pathways – Elementary School Churwalden

Year: 1983
Type: Educational
Location: Churwalden, Graubünden, Switzerland

10. House Räth, Haldenstein

15 Works of Peter Zumthor Every Architect should visit - House Räth, Haldenstein
Front view – House Räth, Haldenstein

Year: 1983
Type: Residential
Location: Haldenstein, Graubünden, Switzerland.

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