The Most Beautiful Swiss Books 2026

The Federal Office of Culture has announced the winners of the Most Beautiful Swiss Books 2026 competition, as voted for by a jury of international experts. Two Scheidegger & Spiess titles are among the winners! Congratulations to everyone involved in the making of the books–we couldn’t be happier!

Swiss artist Florian Graf conceived his School Models art project for the public space in the city of Zurich. Situated within the school yard of a public secondary school, it is comprised of models of three buildings on the campus, each representing a period of architectural history. Graf’s white limestone sculptures of 1:20 scale are supported by oversized, multi-colored Terrazzo toy blocks. Students are invited to view their school buildings in entirely new ways, such as seating or as meeting places.

This book documents a unique public art project that evokes interaction through images and supplementing texts. It illuminates key terms such as education, model, collaboration, and resonance. It also invites a reflection on the evolution of education and its institutions over time.

Edited by Florian Graf, book design by Stoecklin & Wilson, Zurich.

The second award-winning book highlights an extraordinary art-and-architecture project in Zurich:The new building for the City of Zurich Police’s criminal investigation branch, completed in 2021, was a house of art before it became a house of the police. For Other Voices, Other Rooms, curator Adam Szymczyk invited international artists to engage with the building’s architecture and institutional context.

Through images and texts, this lavishly designed book offers insights into a unique art project that responds to the challenges and potential of art and building in a way that is as consistent as it is productive.

Edited by Adam Szymczyk, book design by Cornel Windlin.

Our sister publishing house Park Books also received two awards – click here to see the winners!