Swiss Histories: Deep Time, Extinction, and Other Myths

Abstract

How do we use the past to read today? According to the doomsday clock, extinction has never been closer. Yet deep time, with its myths of origin, formation, and extinction, is rarely used to question our present.We will explore Swiss places of deep time, such as paleontological, geological, or natural sites, and study how their current uses are activated by different narratives of history.

Objective

Students will: • Understand and critically question the media environment in which architecture operates; • Question the use of history and how this often leverages diverse ideas of Swissness; • Familiarize themselves with digital humanities tools and glimpse how these methods promote new understandings of architectural history; • Learn about lesser-known architectures and challenge the canonical idea of Swiss architectural history.

Content

Despite being one of the three distinct geographical regions of Switzerland, the Swiss Jura seldom features in the construction of national myths. It is mostly seen as a place for leisure and entertainment, although it was the site of the geological evidence that led to the identification of the Jurassic Period during the 19th century. However, we should also consider such places as capable of performing ideas of global deep time simultaneously with Swiss national narratives. In spring 2023, TRX-293 Trinity, a 1:1 original skeleton composed of the remains of three different Tyrannosaurus rex, was impressively displayed at the Tonhalle in Zurich, to be later auctioned for 5.5 million francs. Amid security measures, enthusiastic families, and curious amateurs, the unusual presence of the long-gone creature activated the semi-public space of the concert hall in new ways. It heralds a substantial memory of a distant past into a relevant and complex architecture of Swiss and Zurich history. But what ideas of history does this past project in a place of contemporary entertainment? What are contemporary places of deep time called to perform for our society, culture, politics, and science? In the course, we will explore and search for Swiss places of deep time, such as paleontological, geological, or natural sites, and study how their current uses are activated by different narratives of history. Examples and case studies will include natural history museums and their updated contemporary uses; leisure parks displaying deep time specimens; monuments or sites of visits entangled with geological narratives, and the interactions of their current use with scientific research. The first half of the course consists of frontal lectures, followed by the second half dedicated to student research presentations. Students are asked to find a case study (in agreement with the teacher), write a two-page statement about it, and discuss its historical significance. We will primarily use digital sources from e-rara and e-periodica. Students can write in German, French, Italian, and English for the final assignment.

Resources