Christian Sumi graduated from the Zurich Polytechnic, where he worked for the Institute of History and Theory of Architecture (gta). He has taught at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design GSD, the Lausanne Polytechnic EPFL and the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. From 2008 to 2016 he had a full professorship at the Accademia di Architettura Mendrisio AAM, together with Marianne Burkhalter. Since 1984, Sumi and Burkhalter have been running an architectural practice in Zurich. The firm acquired an international reputation by, among other things, transformations of existing structures, new housing typologies, hotels and innovative wooden constructions and distinctive use of polychrome colors. Sumi also made a number of exhibition installations: "Gottfried Semper" and "Robots" for the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich (2004 and 2009); "The unexpected view" and "Konrad Wachsmann – the Grapevine Structure" for La Biennale di Venice (2014 and 2018). He is the editor of the reprint of Alison and Peter Smithson's publication “AS in DS,” published by Lars Müller Publishers (2001).
