Bernardo Bader, Vorarlberger Architect
The methodology of finding instead of inventing
“Poetic normality” is the aspiration that Bernardo Bader pursues in his work.
It sounds complicated but the architect, who was born in Lingenau in Vorarlberg in 1974, confidently fills it with life. Many of his works have been honoured with awards (The International Architecture Award, Mies van der Rohe Award and countless more); they are primarily aimed at making the quality of the everyday visible. “The methodology of finding instead of inventing” is what Bernardo Bader calls it and he listens very carefully in the application of the principle: his architecture is inspired by people and places alike. And when he says people, he doesn’t just mean his clients: “We are also always in dialogue with the tradespeople as equal partners,” says Bader, who worked for Feichtinger Architectes in Paris during his studies at Innsbruck University and and who today also lectures at Liechtenstein University. “It is only in this way that crafted architecture can succeed in Vorarlberg.”
We are also always in dialogue with the tradespeople as equal partners. It is only in this way that crafted architecture can succeed in Vorarlberg.
His special tip for the culture of building in Vorarlberg:
The Islamic cemetery in Altach, designed by Bader, received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. A delicate network of masonry segments
borders the burial area and the structure as such. “This first cemetery for Muslims in Vorarlberg was greatly welcomed as a contribution to integration,” says Bader.
