'Learning from Vernacular' at Vitra Design Museum

10 August – 29 September '13

Mud huts, timber dwellings, stone houses – architectural structures around the world have evolved to be perfectly adapted to the surrounding environment, climate and available building materials. With the growing awareness of sustainable construction and regional traditions, these building types have been rediscovered as vital sources of inspiration. »Learning from Vernacular« is dedicated to this phenomenon. It shows selected examples of traditional architecture and presents contemporary designs that derive fascinating new building forms from these vernacular typologies.

With its 40 models, the exhibition presents a veritable panorama of world architecture. It opens the eyes of audiences to the abundant variety of materials and forms of construction that exist outside the globalized commercial market and are passed down from generation to generation. In such cases, the social functions of architecture are often just as important as its aesthetics or economics. Thanks to the many examples of renewable raw materials and energy-neutral solutions, »Learning from Vernacular« offers numerous inspirations for sustainable, resource-efficient construction.

'Learning from Vernacular' at Vitra Design Museum

'Learning from Vernacular' at Vitra Design Museum

'Learning from Vernacular' at Vitra Design Museum

'Learning from Vernacular' at Vitra Design Museum