Villa Meier-Severini

View from the east

The Villa Meier-Severini is located at Zollikerstrasse 86 in Zollikon in the canton of Zurich . It stands in a 4244 m² park and is listed in the cantonal monument preservation list of objects of supra-communal importance.

villa

Balcony with a view of Zurich

Showroom

The classicist villa was built in 1923 by the building contractor Heinrich Hatt-Haller. The architect was Gustav von Tobel (1880–1956) from Zurich, who built numerous buildings in Zurich. At first it belonged to the Zolliker merchant Robert Meier (* 1882), who lived in Milan and whose daughter married the Italian Conte Severini - although his nobility was evidently not beyond any doubt.

In June 1950 the municipality of Zollikon bought the villa for CHF 361,500. The intention was to erect a multi-purpose building next to or in place of the villa, as Zollikon no longer had a hall for larger events after the demolition of the casino on the lake in 1952, and the property was to be “protected from disfigurement in one of the most sensitive areas of the village become".

After plans for a development were shattered, the villa was used as a three-family house and rented out until it was donated to the “Dr. Hans Koenig »was rented. Since 1986, annual art exhibitions have been shown under the title “The Small Format”.

In March 2007, the lease with the foundation was terminated, but most of the objects remained in the park on loan from the foundation. Since 2009 the villa has been made available by the municipality for events such as exhibitions and weddings.

Collection Dr. Hans Koenig

«Danielstengel» by Bernhard Luginbühl

Since 1992 the Foundation for Iron Sculpture Collection Dr. Hans Koenig, as it has been officially called since 1997, has its seat in the Villa Meier-Severini in Zollikon, the place of residence of its founder Hans Koenig (July 19, 1924 - September 29, 2005). Koenig was already interested in culture and especially the fine arts while studying engineering. As an independent entrepreneur in Dietikon, he ran a company in the steel, metal and connection technology sector.

By delivering materials to iron sculptors such as Josef Staub, Silvio Mattioli and others, he came into contact with artists and began to collect iron sculptures. His collection brings together works by all renowned Swiss iron sculptors of the 20th century such as Max Bill , Gottfried Honegger , Schang Hutter , James Licini , Bernhard Luginbühl , Jean Tinguely and Carlo Vivarelli . Works by these and other artists are exhibited in the park around the house.

As the only exhibition space in Switzerland, the foundation shows an overview of the work of Swiss iron and steel sculptors since the pioneering days of the 1930s and 1950s. It is supplemented by works by foreign sculptors.

literature

Foundation Collection Dr. Hans Koenig - metal sculptures . Edition NOMAD, Zollikon, 1997. (catalog of works, with texts by curator John Matheson and exhibition directory)