Are we approaching a digital building culture?

This season, our International Architects lecture series features practitioners that merge design with cutting-edge digital technologies. In this first lecture, Matthias Kohler will present the work of Swiss architecture practice Gramazio Kohler Architects – a firm recognised as a global leader in digital design and fabrication in architecture.

The practice, which was founded by Matthias Kohler and Fabio Gramazio, established the world’s first architectural robotic laboratory at the ETH Zurich in 2005. Today, the research group consists of 30 researchers dedicated to advancing architecture and construction through computational methods and robotic technology emphasising the use of sustainable materials.

The work of Gramazio Kohler has been published widely and has featured in numerous exhibitions around the world including at the Venice Architecture Biennale (2008), Storefront Gallery for Art and Architecture in New York (2009), FRAC Centre Orléans (2011), Palais de Tokyo (2015), Centre Pompidou (2017) and the Museum of Digital Arts MuDA Zurich (2017). The practice’s research has been summarised in their comprehensive monograph The Robotic Touch – How Robots Change Architecture (Park Books, 2014).