The archives of the Fondation Braillard Architectes offer privileged access to anyone wishing to delve into the heritage of Geneva.
The collection brings together the archives of Maurice Braillard (1870-1965) and his sons Pierre (1911-2009) and Charles (1921-1980). It is an important record of the architectural debate and production in Geneva in the 20th century, from the “Heimatstil” experiments of Maurice’s early work to the emergence of a modern and then international architecture, up to the many buildings by Pierre and Charles that arose from the strong urban and architectural boom of the 1950s to the 1980s.
The archives, kept at the Fondation Braillard Architectes, comprise more than 800 projects, that is around 20,000 drawings, nearly 2,500 boxes of written records and more than two thousand photographs, most of them original prints. Maurice Braillard’s sketchbooks, 250 books from the architects’ library, complete documentation of the office’s activities and a collection of objects and decorative elements created by the Braillards complete the collection.
The collection is gradually enriched with new acquisitions such as surveys, research reports or academic work on the production of the Braillard office; these studies and publications are listed in a bibliographic system that follows the classification by project and is constantly updated.
Classification
The unit of processing is the project, classified in the inventory by address. A project may include three different classification categories: drawings (sketches, tracings, counter-tracings or prints), written documents (correspondence, accounts, tenders, structural calculations, site minutes, press cuttings, advertising brochures, handwritten notes, etc.) and photographic documents. The archives also include many files on the preservation of the buildings and the restoration campaigns they gradually undergo; these new acquisitions are listed in the inventory by project.
Access and consultation
Restrictions in accordance with copyright and personality rights.
Consultation by appointment at the Fondation Braillard Architectes.
Additional sources
A large part of Maurice Braillard’s projects have been fully microfilmed. Part of the collection, in particular the photographic documents, has been digitised; it is currently stored on the server of the Fondation Braillard Architectes and can be consulted on site.
Bibliography
A bibliography organised by project can be consulted at the Fondation Braillard Architectes.