Andreas Ruby Stepping Down as Director of S AM

Andreas Ruby's first exhibition at S AM, the Swiss Architecture Museum, was a key moment: with Schweizweit / Recent Architecture in Switzerland, he set the course for his tenure as director. The art historian and publisher wanted to be an advocate for the Swiss architecture scene, give visibility to up-and-coming offices, and network them across the country. He succeeded: over 170 architects flocked to the vernissage of his premiere exhibition, and the catalog is now in the libraries of most Swiss offices. The successful exhibition gave the museum team and the BSA, the Association of Swiss Architects, the idea of jointly publishing an architecture yearbook every two years. This is because Swiss architecture—despite its “above-average density of quality”—is still too little known, Ruby wrote in his foreword to the first volume. But for all his commitment to local architects, he also opened up S AM internationally. Many of the 26 exhibitions that he developed with his team looked abroad with an inquisitive eye: What can be learned from the work of young architects in Japan? To what extent is Brussels' architectural culture a role model? What can we learn from the competition system in the Belgian capital?

Andreas Ruby started out with the aim of attracting interested laypeople to the S AM. “Architectural exhibitions are often made primarily for insiders,” he said when he took office. “I would like to overcome this with more accessible forms of presentation that convey their subject matter in a sensual and multi-layered way. I am interested in exhibition art that is not afraid of the popular, the playful and the humorous.” In fact, some of his exhibitions have appealed with imaginative and very spatial designs, such as with the show Beton. “Through his passionate advocacy of architecture, Andreas Ruby has opened up S AM to a wide audience in the long term,” praises Foundation Board President Meinrad Morger. Since Andreas Ruby became S AM Director in 2016, visitor numbers have risen by a third; a great success, especially as the museum had to cope with the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic and had its funding withdrawn by the Federal Office of Culture in 2018—a decision only reversed five years later. Fortunately, however, the S AM team under Ruby's leadership have managed to win over the Canton of Basel-Stadt as well as private foundations and patrons for a greater commitment.

However, the end of the year marks the end of his tenure: “I have had a great time at the S AM and, together with my fantastic team, have been able to realize beautiful and innovative exhibitions and initiate many meaningful structural developments,” the still-director is quoted as saying in a press release from the S AM. “The museum is in a good position and it is therefore a good time to hand over the baton and take on a new professional challenge.” Ruby is leaving his post at his own request. He is still keeping his future goals to himself. Between now and the end of the year, he wants to put all his energy into the museum work and work with his team to create a worthy final exhibition on cooperative living.

Ruby has succeeded in turning the S AM into an important platform for discourse with exhibitions that are always worth seeing, including political ones, and countless events. He also has successfully promoted the networking of the museum with universities: the S AM can now count on valuable collection cooperation with ETH Zurich, EPFL in French-speaking Switzerland and USI in Ticino. The Board of Trustees will soon begin the search for a successor.