Moser, Karl

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Moser, Karl (1860–1936). Pioneer of the Modern Movement in Switzerland, and first President of CIAM (1928–30). He designed the Antoniuskirche (Church of St Anthony), Basel (1924–31), the first church employing exposed concrete in Switzerland. His earlier work (in partnership with Robert Curjel (1856–1925)) is less well known, but in its use of round-arched forms it was influenced by the work of Richardson in America (e.g. Pauluskirche, Basel (1897–1901)). At the Kunsthaus (Art-House), Zürich (1907–10), however, the language was stripped Neo-Classicism. The main building of the University of Zürich (1911–14) combined round-arched themes with paraphrases of Greek Doric, and this gives the key to Moser's eclectic approach. His son, Werner Max Moser (1896–1970), also had a successful architectural career. His works include several early Modern Movement buildings with Emil Roth (1893–1980)—e.g. Hagmann Boat-House, Erlenbach, Zürich (1929), the Eglisee Housing, Basel (1930), and the Neubühl Housing, Zürich (1932). He also designed an Old People's Home near Frankfurt (with Mart Stam—1930), and the Kornfeld Church, Riehen, Basel (1962).

Bibliography

Kalman (1994);
Kienzle (1937);
Placzek (ed.) (1982);
Schweizer Rundschau, xxxvi/8 (1936), 633–9;
Jane Turner (1996);
van Vynckt (ed.) (1993)

A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture

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Moser, Karl

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