In architecture, a “mock-up” refers to a demonstration model that reproduces a fragment of a building in full size, using the same materials as the eventual finished product. These models help to better understand the detailing of a building before actual construction begins. But what if mock-ups are not understood as merely byproducts of architecture, but as artefacts in their own right, in possession of an experimental or even poetic potential that goes beyond their purely technical function?

The exhibition features the photographic series “Archetypes” by the Canadian photographer David K. Ross. The images are complemented by contributions from Herzog & de Meuron, Staufer & Hasler Architects, iart, NEST/Gramazio Kohler Architects, Zirkular and baubüro in situ, Manuel Herz Architects, and 51N4E/NEWROPE, who tap into the possibilities of mock-ups in very different ways.