Silvia Radlinsky, Vanessa Hull, Miyuki Inoue. Photo: Katharina Lütscher
House G, entrance. Photo: Lorenz Cugini
TIMELESS ARCHITECTURE, MINDFULLY CRAFTED From contemplative sacred spaces to urban school buildings, Hull Inoue Radlinsky (HIR) navigates a broad range of scales and typologies with ease. “Our portfolio is diverse and spans from residential buildings to public institutions, museums and sacred architecture. We also have extensive experience in working with existing structures, whether it’s listed heritage buildings or the transformation of more recent buildings,” explains Miyuki Inoue, who has been running the firm with partners Vanessa Hull and Silvia Radlinsky since 2010. Their diversity of perspectives is precisely the strength of the partnership, as Miyuki emphasises. “Each partner brings specific expertise and interests, and we continuously exchange ideas across all projects. Our foundation is a 28
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Issue 132
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August 2025
shared architectural understanding, rooted in dialogue with clients and a sensitive approach to buildings, places and their histories.” For HIR, architecture must transcend the moment. Sustainability has been a central concern at HIR for over 15 years. “A respectful approach to existing structures is a key contribution to conserving resources. At the same time, we are driven by questions of sufficiency. How much space is truly needed? How can architecture adapt to seasonal rhythms?” Miyuki’s background, having grown up in a traditional, unheated wooden house in Japan, also informs the practice’s ethos. “Architecture should coexist with nature, not work against it.”
This international outlook shapes not only the partners’ biographies but their philosophy as well. “International perspectives often lead to unexpected, sometimes surprising solutions – for instance, when Japanese ways of thinking subtly unfold within the Swiss context.” The result is architecture that is locally anchored, yet globally informed. Recognition for their thoughtful approach has not been in short supply. The firm received the Gold Best Architects Award in 2022 for the Marzili school building in Bern – in cooperation with Wolfgang Rossbauer Architekt – while the Straw Museum in Wohlen was honoured with the Aargau Heritage Prize. Most recently, Miyuki was named International Female Architect of the Year at the AnotHERVIEWture Awards 2024 – a distinction that reflects the collective dedication of the entire firm. www.hir-architekten.ch
TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE
Timeless, contextual and meticulously designed: Zurich-based architecture firm Hull Inoue Radlinsky embodies an architectural practice that is globally informed, yet locally rooted.