Portrait of Lux Guyer: The First Woman to Open an Architecture Firm in Switzerland
Born in 1894 in Zurich, Lux Guyer represents a pioneering figure in Swiss avant-garde architecture. In 1924, she opened her own architecture firm, becoming the first woman in Switzerland to do so, at a time when professional independence for women was still rare. Married in 1930 to engineer Hans Studer, she refused to conform to the matrimonial and professional conventions of the time: she kept her name and continued to run her firm independently.
Her boldness went beyond her role as a trailblazer. Leading her own firm, she secured large-scale projects and became particularly involved in social architecture, as evidenced by the Frauenwohnkolonie, a building designed for single working women. She is also known for having organized Switzerland's first exhibition on women's labor (SAFFA) in 1928.
ca. 1925
In a male-dominated environment, Guyer succeeded in asserting herself despite numerous challenges. Her status as a woman, combined with her architecture, which was sometimes seen as too avant-garde, made it difficult for her to find clients and buyers. To prove that her modern villas were not only visionary but also livable, she moved in with her family before finding a buyer, accumulating five moves in 25 years.
However, her determination was not synonymous with personal sacrifice. Far from the image of a genius architect wholly absorbed by her work, Lux Guyer also knew how to balance her career and personal life. Her son describes her as a present and involved mother, while she also devoted time to her hobbies, particularly gardening, which she practiced early in the morning.
ca. 1937
Frauenwohnkolonie Lettenhof
Lux Guyer left a lasting mark on the history of social architecture with projects like the Frauenwohnkolonie Lettenhof, built between 1926 and 1927. This project, funded by women’s cooperatives, provided functional and affordable housing for single working women, a first in Switzerland.
The complex consisted of four buildings arranged around a central courtyard. Three of the buildings were dedicated to housing, designed to ease domestic chores, while the fourth housed a community space. This building, with a shared kitchen, transformed a traditionally female space into a true meeting place. A restaurant, open not only to residents but also to the neighborhood, offered a social alternative at a time when it was frowned upon for women to dine alone in public establishments.
Upon its inauguration, the project was praised for addressing an urgent need:
« Zurich can boast of being the first Swiss city to offer housing for single working women. »
Lux Guyer is not only distinguished as a "female architect" but as a pioneer in social architecture in Switzerland. Through her housing projects for active women and her modern villas along the shores of Lake Zurich, she explored new ways of living. Her career also embodies a model of balancing professional and personal life – a challenge that remains relevant in the field of architecture today.
This text has been translated with the help of Ai.
Sources:
Evelyne Lang, “Les premières femmes architectes de Suisse”, Diss., EPF Lausanne 1992, S. 347–429.
GTA Archiv. “Lux Guyer.” https://archiv.gta.arch.ethz.ch/nachlaesse-vorlaesse/lux-guyer
Susanne Schmid, “Hintergründe zum gemeinschaftlichen Wohnen – Teil 2.” 2020, Baublog.
https://baublog.warmbaechli.ch/2020/05/hintergruende-zum-gemeinschaftlichen-wohnen-teil-2/
Chiara Personeni. “Frauentreffkuche Lettenhof.” Chair of Architectural Behaviorology, Momoyo Kaijima.
https://works.arch.ethz.ch/thesis/frauentreffkuche-lettenhof
Martin Bürlimann. “Die Frauenkolonie Lettenhof.” 2019, Wipkinger Zeitung. https://wipkinger-zeitung.ch/die-frauenkolonie-lettenhof/
Urs Studer. “Arktektin Lux Guyer.” 2005, Küsnachter Jahrheft.
https://www.ortsgeschichte-kuesnacht.ch/pdf/2005-2007/Kuesnachter-Jahrheft-2005-Architektin-Lux-Guyer.pdf
Drawings: Chiara Personeni. “Frauentreffkuche Lettenhof.” Chair of Architectural Behaviorology, Momoyo Kaijima.
https://works.arch.ethz.ch/thesis/frauentreffkuche-lettenhof
