The Archive of the Modern

Address: Piazzale alla Valle, via Lavizzari 2, CH-6850 Mendrisio
Telephone: +41 58 666 55 00
Fax: +41 58 666 55 55
Email: archivio@arch.unisi.ch
Url: www.arc.usi.ch/archivio.htm

The Archive of the Modern is an independent research institute that supports the Academy of Architecture of Mendrisio, reinforcing its teaching and scholarly activities. Instituted in 1996 within the Università della Svizzera italiana, its headquarters are in Mendrisio, in a building designed by the architect Mario Botta. The Università della Svizzera italiana constituted it as a Foundation on 20 February 2004.
The objectives of the institute are of a twofold nature: on the one hand the acquisition, protection, preservation and exploitation of archives of architecture, urban planning, engineering, design, art and photography; on the other the promotion of scientifi c research in fi elds such as the history of modern and contemporary architecture, art, design, the territory and civil engineering, recognizing their leading role in the current state of society. It acquires archival collections and iconographic documents of both historical and contemporary architects, engineers, designers, photographers and visual operators who have played a signifi cant part in the affi rmation of "modernity", with a special concern for Italian culture.
Its research activity covers a time span that ranges from the birth of modern civilization - with the coming of the Enlightenment - to the present time, and looks ahead to future scenarios. It promotes the cataloguing, ordering, digitalization and use on Internet of the archives it has acquired and fosters scholarly partnerships with research institutes, museums, archives and other foundations, on the national and international level. It organizes international research projects, conventions, study days, exhibitions and specialist publications.

Staff:
Letizia Tedeschi (Direttrice)
Nicola Navone (Vicedirettore)
Marta Valdata (Assistenti di direzione)
Tiziano Casartelli (Collaboratore)
Alessandra Pfister (Coordinamento ricerca)
Micaela Caletti-Zonca (Documentalista)
Sabine Cortat (Documentalista)
Riccardo Bergossi (Ricercatore)
Elena Triunveri (Ricercatore archivista)