In 1959, the architect couple Flora Steiger-Crawford and Rudolf Steiger build their own home in the Doldertal: surrounded by legends of Swiss architectural history, the STEIGER HOUSE offers a role model for modern residential living and construction. In the history of architecture, the Doldertal, a small valley north of the city of Zurich, is best known as the residence of Swiss architectural theorist Sigfried Giedion, whose book “Space, Time and Architecture” (1941) is considered a landmark in the historiography of modernity. In 1936, Giedion commissions two houses designed by Alfred Roth and Marcel Breuer – known as the Doldertal Houses – which to this day remain among the most important built works of “Neues Bauen” in Switzerland.

20 years later, Flora Steiger-Crawford and Rudolf Steiger – who are important representatives of the Swiss avant-garde; moreover, Flora Crawford is the first woman to receive a diploma in architecture from ETH Zurich – also chose this area for their house. Situated opposite the Doldertal Houses, the Steiger house is surrounded by other iconic buildings, such as the adjacent Fellowship Home, another of Alfred Roth’s buildings, and takes its place in architectural history.

“The Steiger House. Doldertal Zurich 1959: Rudolf Steiger and Flora Steiger- Crawford” offers a first in-depth look at the genesis of this masterpiece of modern Swiss architecture. Detailed analyses illustrate the central layout and outline the chronology, typology and construction of the building. Further contributions illuminate the relationship to local topography, the cultural context of the building, as well as important historical and contemporary architectural references, including the Steiger House’s famous neighbors.