What Was Could Be: Experiments Between Preservation and Architecture
An Exhibition by the S AM Swiss Architecture Museum in Cooperation with the Chair of Construction Heritage and Preservation (Prof. Dr. Silke Langenberg), ETH Zurich.
Preservation is progressive: In current efforts to shift towards more sustainable building practices (known in German as the Bauwende, or ‘building turnaround’), preservation and maintenance of the existing building stock play a central role. The alteration or conversion of an existing building is considerably more resource-efficient than a comparable new build. This is leading to changes in the nature of architecture itself: where the focus used to be on new construction, building upon the built is increasingly considered the future of the discipline. In this context, the theory and practice of historic preservation also gain a new urgency. The discipline has always regarded the built stock as a valuable resource and has developed different methods and approaches to carefully preserve the existing for the future. What can be learned from this approach and what new impulses can arise from a deeper dialogue between preservation and architecture?
The exhibition takes the 50th anniversary of the European Architectural Heritage Year of 1975 as an opportunity to look into the past, present, and future of preservation and explore new possibilities for its cooperation with architecture.
GayMenzel, Maisons Duc, Saint-Maurice, model in scale 1:33 in the existing building, 2014
photo: GayMenzel (Emmanuel Dorsaz)
Accompanying Program:
Discourse is an essential part of this exhibition. Lectures and discussions will take place regularly in and around S AM during the exhibition run.
4/4/2025, 7 PM
Public Opening 'What Was Could Be: Experiments between Preservation and Architecture'
8/4/2025, 5–6 PM
Introduction for teachers in the exhibition 'What Was Could Be: Experiments between Preservation and Architecture'
Registration: education@sam-basel.org
10/4/(DE), 26/6/(DE), 4/9/(DE), 6 PM
15/5/ (EN), 2 PM
10/7/(DE)& 21/8/(EN), 8 PM & Drinks
Guided tours through the exhibition 'What Was Could Be: Experiments between Preservation and Architecture'
10/4/2025, 7–8.30 PM
‘The (practical) Institutions: How is heritage managed?’
A discussion event organized by the Chair of Construction Heritage and Monument Preservation
(Prof. Dr. Silke Langenberg) at ETH Yurich as part of the Exibition ‘What Was Could Be: Experiments between Preservation and Architecture.’
Venue: S AM
15/4/2025, 5-6.30 PM
'Behind the scenes of the Stadtcasino Basel'
A guided tour of the Stadtcasino with Dr. Daniel Schneller, Head of Heritage Preservation Canton Basel-Stadt and Thorsten Kemper, associate of Herzog & de Meuron, Project Manager Stadtcasino Basel.
Venue: Stadtcasino Basel, by appointment
22/5/2025 6-7.30 PM
'What If Maintenance Comes First? Emerging Forms of Preservation'
A panel discussion in collaboration with the Oslo Architecture Triennial
Supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in BernLanguage: English
Venue: S AM
24/ & 25/5/2025 2–5 PM
Drop-In-Workshop for adults and children
As part of Open House Basel www.openhouse-basel.org
11/6/2025, 10 AM–12 PM
Wednesday-Matinée in the S AM
12/6/2025, 7–8.30 PM
'The (theoretical) discourse: A future for whose past?
A discussion event organized by the Chair of Construction Heritage and Monument Preservation
(Prof. Dr. Silke Langenberg) at ETH Zurich as part of the exhibition 'What Was Could Be: Experiments between Heritage Conservation and Architecture'.
3/7/–28/8/2025, Di–So 4–10 PM
Summer Opening Hours at S AM & Kunsthalle Basel
4/9/2025, 7–8.30 PM
'The next generation: learning and shaping the future legacy'
A discussion event organized by the Chair of Construction Heritage and Monument Preservation
(Prof. Dr. Silke Langenberg) at ETH Yurich as part of the Exibition ‘What Was Could Be: Experiments between Preservation and Architecture.’
Venue: S AM
12/9/2025 7 PM
Stereo Lecture
With support of the Hans und Renée Müller-Meylan Stiftung
13/9/2025
S AM Program as part of:
European Heritage Days 2025, www.kulturerbe-entdecken.ch &
Theaterplatzfest 2025, www.theaterplatz-quartier.ch
14/9/2025, 3 PM
Tandem-Tour, S AM & Kunsthalle Basel
Dates 'Denk-Mal-Bar':
Thu, 24/4/25 , 5-8.30 PM, Red Wine with Dieter Righetti (Diener & Diener Architekten)
Thu, 8/5/25, 5-8.30 PM, Negroni Sbagliato with Klaus Spechtenhauser (Kantonale Denkmalpflege Basel-Stadt)
Thu, 15/5/25, 5-8.30 PM, Eurofizzion Gin with Sonja Flury (ProSaffa1985-Pavillon)
Thu, 5/6/25, 5-8.30 PM, Klär-Wässerchen with Noël + Lukas (Malheur&Fortuna)
Thu, 19/6/25, 5-8.30 PM, Blue Citizen with Blanka + Jens + Tamino (ZAS* Zürcher Arbeitsgruppe Städtebau)
Thu, 3/7/25, 6-10 PM (summer opening hours), Dry Martini with Reto Nussbaumer (Kantonaler Denkmalpfleger Aargau)
Thu, 10/7/25, 6-10 PM (summer opening hours), Something Sparkling with Team Professur Langenberg (Konstruktionserbe und Denkmalpflege ETH Zürich)
Thu, 21/8/25, 6-10 PM (summer opening hours), Whiskey/Sake Highball with Sandra + Yuma (S AM Schweizer Architekturmuseum)
Thu, 28/8/25, 6-10 PM (summer opening hours), Tingeltangel with Christian + Sebastian (Verein Beispiele sozialistischer Architektur)
Thu, 11/9/25, 5-8.30 PM, Hypokras with Martina + Jonas (M.A. Denkmalpflege und Monumentenmanagment)
Exhibition flyer: here
The exhibition 'What Was Could Be: Experiments Between Preservation and Architecture' is supported by:
Exhibition Partner:
ETH Zürich, DARCH
Professur Langenberg, Lehrstuhl für
Konstruktionserbe und Denkmalpflege
Institut für Denkmalpflege und
Historische Bauforschung
Institut für Technologie in der
Architektur
Exhibition Supporters:
SKKG Stiftung für Kunst, Kultur und Geschichte
Ernst Göhner Stiftung
ETH Zürich, Departement Architektur
SWISSLOS Kanton Aargau
UBS Kulturstiftung
Willy A. und Hedwig Bachofen-Henn-Stiftung
Domus Antiqua Helvetica
Basler Kantonalbank
LAUFEN Schweiz AG
Exhibition Media Partners:
Netzwerk Kulturerbe Schweiz
Exhibition Program Partners:
ICOMOS Suisse
Konferenz der Schweizer
Denkmalpflegerinnen und
Denkmalpfleger KSD
ARGE Boesch Diener, Elisabeth & Martin Boesch Architekten, Zürich, Diener & Diener Architekten, Basel
Schweizer Heimatschutz
Davos Schatzalp
S AM Supporters:
Kanton Basel-Stadt
Bundesamt für Kultur BAK
Beisheim Stiftung
Hans und Renée Müller-Meylan Stiftung
ComputerWorks AG
Levante
Karl Bubenhofer AG
Gremper AG
