Günther Vogt probably needs no introduction in our profession; he has been an important practitioner for a couple of decades now, appreciated globally for his rich, non-linear and adventurous design approach. Initially, his education was more in the direction of botany. He later shifted to landscape architecture by studying in Rapperswil, Switzerland. After his study years, he joined Dieter Kienast, and together, they ran their practice Kienast Vogt until the passing of Kienast in 1998. In 2000, Günther Vogt started his own practice, Vogt Landscape Architecture, in Zurich and slowly spread around Europe. Currently, the office also operates in Berlin, London and Paris, and, of course, in Zurich. He lectures extensively. This year alone, he gave nearly 20 lectures. 

His lectures often comprise provocative, even radical statements, but as we live in radically challenging times, we should probably get used to radical ideas and changes in how we inhabit this world. I had the pleasure of inviting Günter Vogt recently to the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam, where I curated a short lecture series, and Günter’s lecture was titled Ecology is Invisible. If you followed our recent articles on Landezine, you may have noticed some parallels in this thinking, at least from afar. We will now try to have a closer look at Günter’s views and also at some recent and not-so-recent shifts in our profession.

Interviewer: Zaš Brezar