Our annual theme for 2024 is Jakoba Mulders Soul Mates. The theme is a reference to Jakoba Mulder (1900-1988), an important architect and urban planner who played a major role in the development and expansion of the city of Amsterdam. Mulder is this year it symbol, it Point of view and departure and it framework for the annual theme. Soul mates refers to her female contemporaries, but also her contemporary female colleagues. In our newsletter, we highlight a soul mate every month. The first in our new series is Annemarie Hubacher-Constam from Switzerland.

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Annemarie Hubacher-Constam was born into a family of architects. Her grandfather Gustav Gull (1858-1942) was the designer of the Swiss National Museum and encouraged his granddaughter to study architecture. Shortly after the Second World War, she completed her studies and founded her architectural firm. Hubacher-Constam became famous for her design for the Swiss pavilion for the International Exhibition for Women's Work (SAFFA) in 1958, based on the premise that this building should be designed entirely by female designers. All the exhibitions that were shown in the building were also made by women. They also showed the achievements of “Swiss women”. At the opening, Hubacher-Constam emphasized that it's not women who help in the background “when men achieve something”, but “vice versa!”

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The tower designed by Hubacher-Constam consisted of a large column of exhibition spaces. Visitors first had to take a lift to the top floor, where there was a restaurant with a view of the Alps. Then they went down the slopes in a smooth movement, visiting an exhibition on each floor.

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Hubacher-Constam remained active as an architect until the 1990s, and was responsible for groundbreaking projects for the city of Zurich such as the Botanical Garden, the Eichbühl Cemetery and the Mythenquai Public Baths. In addition to her work as an architect, she was also involved in various social initiatives and was a member of the city's welfare committee. In 1996, she was honored by the City of Zurich for her commitment to women's rights.

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