Vortex

A study of the striking Vortex building in Lausanne, Switzerland, a powerful reflection of circles in architecture.
 

Edited and authored by the renowned architecture expert Philip Jodidio, this book is dedicated to a new, eye-catching building by Swiss architect Jean-Pierre Dürig located in Lausanne, also known as the “Olympic Capital.” As the structure’s name suggests, Vortex is an 88-foot-high tower in the shape of a cylinder, rising around a single, continuous 1.7-mile-long ramp. Its spiraling movement creates an emblematic shape reminiscent of Olympic rings—a fitting tribute for a building that housed the 1,700 talented young athletes who competed in the Winter Youth Olympic Games in January 2020.
 
Over 130 photographs, sketches, plans, and models illuminate this enormous undertaking, while Jodidio’s informative text offers detailed insight into the phases of design and construction. Imagery of circular references from art, architecture, and nature highlight the inspiration behind the building’s extraordinary shape. Printed in Italy using the finest European papers, this volume is a beautiful ode to Vortex and Lausanne’s forward-looking spirit.
 Philip Jodidio is a specialist in contemporary architecture. As well as having been editor in chief of the French art monthly Connaissance des Arts for more than twenty years, he is the author of over 100 books on architecture and art.