The interior architect and furniture designer, lecturer and, not least, tinkerer Hansruedi Vontobel (*1940) grew up as the son of a farmer in the Zurich Oberland. He initially trained as a cabinetmaker at a highly traditional workshop specialising in rustic furniture in Uster. It was only afterwards that he became interested in design. He cites the residential tower at SAFFA (Swiss Exhibition for Women’s Work) in 1958 as the moment that sparked his interest.

This revelation about new ways of living led Hansruedi Vontobel to interior architecture and to study under Willy Guhl at the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts. His broad interest in construction, as well as in drawing and painting, paved the way for his studies there. During his training, he encountered post-war modernism. He was particularly fascinated by the work of Charles and Ray Eames and their ability to reconcile innovation in furniture design with technological developments. After completing his studies, he went on to design and realise a wide range of interiors, conversions, exhibition stands and even entire furniture collections, including for Möbel Pfister.

Equally interested in his surroundings and in people, Hansruedi Vontobel places constructive dialogue with clients at the heart of his work. “Working with the other person as an equal in a dialogue allowed me to propose innovative ideas as well. It is always a matter of trust,” says Hansruedi Vontobel, describing his approach. Alongside his independent and highly diverse work as an interior architect and designer, Vontobel became an assistant to Professor Werner Jaray at ETH Zurich. There, he contributed to seminars on the future of housing. It was a period strongly influenced by the Club of Rome – a time of new beginnings and a growing focus on sustainability, driven by the realisation that the Earth’s resources are finite.

Willy Guhl invited Hansruedi Vontobel to teach detail drawing and construction drawing at the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts. Curious and open to new ideas, he did not let his lack of teaching experience deter him from taking on the role. After two years, he took on a leadership role as part of a four-person team alongside Alf Aebersold, Willy Guhl and Heinz Meyer. Somewhat later, when the programme was divided into design and interior architecture, industrial designer Franco Clivio joined the team in place of Meyer. Vontobel initially headed the second year of the programme and supervised diploma projects. He later also took responsibility for the first year. What particularly fascinated him was the fundamental exploration of different materials, working with them both by hand and with machines.

Hansruedi Vontobel continues to pursue projects to this day: from sledges for use in the Alps to furniture that he develops and refines in his studio in Herrliberg – and, not least, rare breeds of sheep, which he raises to help preserve them for future generations.

Hansruedi Vontobel’s body of work is remarkably diverse and multifaceted. His curiosity, his appetite for a challenge and his commitment to design continue to lead him towards a wide variety of projects. His work as an independent interior architect and designer includes numerous exhibition stands and showrooms, among them projects for Lignum, a company he worked with for more than 30 years.

For Möbel Pfister, he designed the «Klick» furniture range and, together with other interior architects and designers including Ueli Berger, Klaus Vogt, Heinz Ulrich and Eleonore Peduzzi Riva, the «Mira X» interior furnishing programme.

His curiosity as a designer also takes Hansruedi Vontobel beyond the conventional boundaries of interior architecture. Early in his career, he designed a forest nature trail with recreational areas and playgrounds for the company HIAG. More than ten versions were realised, each responding to the specific characteristics of its location. Hansruedi Vontobel continues to take on whatever sparks his interest to this day. Although wood is by no means the only material he works with, particular encounters and connections have repeatedly drawn him back to it. This is also closely linked to his commitment to sustainability, both as a designer and as a person.