The research project is a cooperation between the Institute of Art History, Chair of the History of Architecture and Monument Preservation, and the Vitrocentre and Vitromusée Romont.
The research project focuses on the oeuvre of the stained glass artist Heinrich Stäubli (*1926, Lucerne; †2016, St. Gallen), owner of the extremely productive and well-known studio Stäubli, and is dedicated to the processes of making stained glass art in 20th century Swiss workshops as well as the overall artistic status of stained glass. Stäubli plays an important role for the artistic landscape of St. Gallen and Eastern Switzerland with works in situ in over 36 buildings in the canton of St. Gallen alone, but he is also notably represented in other cantons such as Thurgau. The prompt scientific processing of the estate of studio Stäubli, which the family Stäuble hands over to the Vitromusée Romont in parts, is crucial, given that family members as well as former students and employees can still be interviewed. Therefore, first-hand knowledge about modern stained glass production and techniques can be recorded, documented, and published.
The research project acknowledges the challenging versatility of stained glass und investigates the following aspects in particular, based on the case study of studio Stäubli: 1) the design and production process of stained glass art in the second half of the 20th century, 2) the intermediality of artistic sketches and designs in glass works and other media, 3) the spatial and atmospheric appearance of stained glass as “art in architecture,” especially in churches and public buildings in context of 20th century architectural history and theory.
Moreover, the project provides for an initial stage of inventorizing architectural stained glass works of the 20th century in the canton of St. Gallen, for which Stäublis “art in architecture” works will be comprehensively documented and researched for the first time. In addition, the project is dedicated to communicate the research results in various formats towards the general public. An architectural mediation project “art in architecture” will engage with citizens in the city of St. Gallen. An exhibition of selected graphic works and sketches from the estate Stäubli in the Vitromusée Romont together with a catalogue is planned to present the project’s results to a broader Swiss audience.
