Züka — Zürich Canton Trade and Agriculture Exhibition

Postcard displaying The Züka entrance sign called “The Giraffe”. Private collection (Tor Weibull). ©Tor Weibull

In the late summer of 1947, Lake Zürich provided a serene backdrop to the Züka, Zürich Canton Trade and Agriculture Exhibition—an event seamlessly blending art, design, and innovations from the agricultural scene. The exhibition’s design and expression were conducted by chief architect Hans Fischli, whose vision was to create a rational and straightforward way of communicating with the visitors. With the previous success of the Landi exhibition in mind, Fischli envisioned a progressive and constructive mentality to separate Züka from Landi’s more decorative approach¹. Fischli brought together a team of designers, artists, and collaborators to help him with the task. Notable among them were Joseph Müller-Brockmann, Carlo Vivarelli, Hans Neuburg, Max Bill, Katharina Anderegg, Walter Käch, and Fritz Keller.

Graphic Design

Müller-Brockmann and Neuburg were among those who designed the exhibition’s graphics. Fischli had conducted an approach for graphic design that focused on functionality rather than mere decoration. The style that emerged from this was later referred to as the “Züka-style”—characterized by the prominent use of geometric shapes such as squares, circles, and triangles, both graphically and architecturally². Neuburg claimed the “Züka-style” to be a glimpse of the future³. And that was in a way accurate, since both Müller-Brockmann and Neuburg, along with Vivarelli, came to co-found the journal Neue Grafik in 1958, a publication shaped from a design approach similar to the Züka-style. However, in 1958, it had evolved into what we now refer to as the International Typographic Style.

Züka-Schrift

One notable design element of the Züka exhibition was the development of the Züka-Schrift typeface by designer and lettering teacher Walter Käch. Käch’s rationalized design choices, such as 90-degree stroke endings and lined-up terminals, were groundbreaking at the time and reflected the overall design direction of the exhibition. The typeface was used in the exhibition’s wayfinding and title signs. Although Züka-Schrift was never commercially available, Käch’s work and approach greatly influenced the next generation of designers. Partly, this was because of his role as a teacher at the Zürich School of Arts and Crafts, where he taught students such as Adrian Frutiger and Emil Ruder. But his philosophies most likely reached a more extensive public due to his lettering manual “Schriften, Lettering, Ecritures: The Principle Types of Running Hand and Drawn Characters”, published in 1949. The manual features guidelines and proposals for several different typefaces, where the sans serifs presented follow a structure and rationality similar to Züka-Schrift.

Züka-Schrift by Walter Käch, 1947. Images courtesy: Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, Grafiksammlung, ZHdK. ©Johanna Altherr

Exhibition Attraction

Among the myriad attractions and artworks featured at the exhibition, a prominent inclusion was the “Zükabähnli,” a roller coaster providing visitors with a unique ride across the lake. The show also encompassed a cinema, a fusion of garden installations and sculptures, and a distinctive wooden entrance sign referred to as “the giraffe” due to its abstract resemblance to the animal.

Postcard showing the rollercoaster “Zükabähnli”. Private collection (Tor Weibull). ©Tor Weibull

A noteworthy feature was Max Bill’s three-meter-tall sculpture, ‘Continuity’. While some appreciated its seamless flow and expressive form⁴, it sparked controversy among others. Regrettably, the statue faced illegal destruction on the night of April 19–20, 1948, a testament to the divergent opinions it stirred. The narrative suggests that Roland von Wyss, the head of the garden department, directed a group of individuals to carry out the act. He didn’t need to make the request twice⁵. Later, in 1974, ‘Continuity’ achieved immortality when the artwork was commemorated on a Swiss postage stamp.

Swiss postage stamp from 1974 featuring a visualisation of Max Bill’s “Continuity”. Private collection (Tor Weibull). ©Tor Weibull

Furniture

The Züka exhibition showcased meticulously crafted furniture, including pieces by interior architects Vogel & Nauer, exceptional items from Wohnbedarf, and, particularly, the Züka aluminium chair and table by Embru-Werke⁶. Much like Hans Coray’s Landi chair, which served as the official seating for Landi, the Züka chair assumed a parallel role as the official garden chair for Züka. Despite Hans Fischli’s efforts to distinguish Züka from Landi’s legacy, the similar involvement of a furniture brand in producing official chairs is evident. The Züka chair, however, didn’t attain the same success as Coray’s design, and the reasons for this are not immediately apparent. One can only speculate whether the Landi chair’s design was more appealing to the market or if the Züka chair’s pricing was too high. Regardless, the Züka chair and table eventually ceased production and now exist solely as memories.

Postcard Showing Embru-Werke’s Züka chair on the exhibition site. Private collection (Tor Weibull). ©Tor Weibull

Züka in retrospect

Upon reflection, what was initially perceived as an economic setback with fingers pointed at Hans Fischli⁷, the Züka exhibition unfolds a more intricate narrative. Beyond financial challenges, Züka emerges as a cradle of innovation, boldly pushing the boundaries of convention. While it would be banal to attribute the birth of the International Typographic Style solely to Züka, it undeniably represents a piece of the puzzle that has contributed to its evolution. The exhibition earned acclaim for its pioneering design and approach⁸, architecturally and graphically, through compositions based on geometric shapes and tastefully selected building materials. The enduring echoes of the Züka-style can still be found in contemporary aesthetics. In essence, Züka stands as an enduring testament to the transformative power of innovative design, transcending its temporal constraints and shaping the ongoing narrative of artistic expression.

Text by Tor Weibull, 04.03.2024.

Sources

  1. Hans Fischli, “Züka Zürich 1947”, Das Werk: Architektur und Kunst, nr 35 (1948). https://www.e-periodica.ch/cntmng?pid=wbw-002:1948:35::949
  2. Hans Neuburg, “Die Graphik an der Züka”, Das Werk : Architektur und Kunst, nr 35 (1948): 78. https://www.e-periodica.ch/cntmng?pid=wbw-002%3A1948%3A35%3A%3A951
  3. Richard Hollis ”Swiss Graphic Design: The Origins and Growth of an International Style, 1920–1965” (2006): 155.
  4. Georg Schmidt, “Max Bill’s Kontinuität”, Das Werk : Architektur und Kunst nr 35 (1948): 76–77. https://www.e-periodica.ch/cntmng?pid=wbw-002%3A1948%3A35%3A%3A950
  5. Peter Killer “Zürich und Max Bill”, Werk, Bauen + Wohnen, No. 69 (1982): 5 https://www.e-periodica.ch/cntmng?pid=wbw-004:1982:69::1184
  6. V. S, “Ausstellungen: Züka”, Das Werk : Architektur und Kunst, nr 34 (1947): 114. https://www.e-periodica.ch/cntmng?pid=wbw-002%3A1947%3A34%3A%3A1513
  7. Hans Fischli, “Züka, Zürcher Kantonale Landwirtschafts- und Gewerbe-Ausstellung 1947: Rückblick und Lehren”, Schweizerische Bauzeitung. nr 66 (1948): 165 https://www.e-periodica.ch/cntmng?pid=sbz-002:1948:66::181
  8. Georgine Oeri, “Zuka. Exhibition – Visual Information”, Graphis 21 (1948): 74–75 https://www.fulltable.com/VTS/g/graphis/G21/zuca/a.html

Further links and sources