(mib) An exhibition opened in Basle in May devoted to the 25 years of activity of the two ETH professors of architecture, Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron (1) . Around a thousand objects are included in the exhibition, which carries the title "No. 250"–a clue to the catalogue of work of the two renowned architects. Because the ninth exhibition is also included work catalogue just as their constructions that have been built–or are in the process of being built–from "Basle to Beijing“. "The biggest exhibition of architecture that has ever been made," said Herzog immodestly in an interview with the Tages-Anzeiger, "shows by-products of the thought processes". To quote the Swiss press: "Models, material samples, sketches and bits-and-bobs–a world of Styrofoam and concrete, plaster and rubber" (Tages-Anzeiger); "an associative flea market of ideas" (NZZ). Jacques Herzog is more forthcoming, "The exhibits are silent and lifeless witnesses of the intellectual and group-dynamic processes that we spurred on over many a long year with a lot of energy and effort and in diverse combinations. In some cases, buildings came out of it."

Further venues for the exhibition "No. 250“, which runs until 12th September 2004 in Basle, are being discussed. There is no catalogue to the exhibition but "Naturgeschichte“, which was published for the exhibition "Herzog & de Meuron: Archeology of the Mind“ in the Canadian Centre for Architecture, is available.

The architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron have both held professorships at ETH Zurich since October 1999 and, together with Roger Diener and Marcel Meili, they lead the "ETH Studio Basle“ (2) . This external experimental laboratory was developed to try out new formats for architectural competitions. Herzog and de Meuron both studied at ETH and opened their own offices in Basle in 1978.

Schaulager in Münchenstein near Basle. The unconventional building from the architects Herzog & de Meuron (Project No. 169) was inaugurated in May 2003 and is the seat of the Emanuel Hoffmann Foundation. Picture: Heinrich Helfenstein

Project No. 250: An exhibition in "Schaulager" of the by-products produced during thought processes from Herzog & de Meuron. Picture: A. Burger