On 14 November 2025, students from the Master’s degree programme in Architecture undertook a specialist excursion to Zurich. They were accompanied by the lecturers Dr Britta Hentschel and Dr Gyler Mydyti. The excursion formed part of the two elective courses Built Heritage and Urban Design.

Academic content of the courses

The Built Heritage module focuses on global built heritage and its significance for the present and the future. Central to the course are methods of analysis and evaluation, as well as strategies for the preservation, further development and transformation of historic buildings and ensembles.

The Urban Design course conveys fundamental competencies in urban and neighbourhood development. Students learn how to translate spatial, social and economic aspects into integrated planning approaches and to critically reflect on urban transformation processes.

Stops on the excursion

The students visited three key locations in Zurich where issues of existing structures, transformation and circular development approaches are particularly evident:

At the SBB Werkstadt, the students were able to observe how a former industrial site is being gradually repurposed and how existing infrastructures are being converted into new, meaningful uses. The Schlachthof area demonstrated how sensitive questions of preserving and shaping the character of historic buildings can be combined with contemporary urban requirements. The excursion concluded with a visit to the Kochareal, which is currently undergoing an intensive transformation process and exemplifies cooperative development models. Here, Prof Urs Meister (Kaeferstein & Meister Architects) gave the students a guided tour of the construction site and explained key planning decisions.

Further information on the Master’s degree programme in Architecture: www.uni.li/architecture
About the Built Heritage & Upcycling Unit
About the Urban Design & Spatial Development Unit

Image credits

Photos 1, 3–5: Jonas Pfister
Photos 2 and 6: Antonia Trager

On 5 November 2025, Sergio Marazzi and Andreas Reinhardt (Marazzi Reinhardt) shared their perspectives on contemporary building practice, materiality and a sensitive approach to the existing built fabric with students of the Liechtenstein School of Architecture. Invited by studio lecturers Timothy Allen and Ronan Crippa, the public studio talk offered insights into the practice’s working methods and its engagement with craftsmanship, construction details and atmospheric qualities.

The Liechtenstein School of Architecture regularly organises public studio lectures and other events.
More at www.uni.li/architecture

The two Georgian exchange students, Vakhtang Shaishmelashvili and Mariami Mikeltadze, developed a semester project during their stay at the University of Liechtenstein as part of a transfer project with the municipality of Ruggell. The design studio entitled «‹Darf› Ruggell» focused on the further development of the village street (Dorfstrasse) and was supervised by Professor Michael Wagner and Lecturer in Practice Oscar Buson.

Twelve student teams explored different possibilities for how the centre of Ruggell could be used and designed sustainably in the future. The proposals ranged from new forms of living and working, to traffic-calmed shared spaces, through to a stronger integration with the surrounding landscape.

The project by Vakhtang Shaishmelashvili and Mariami Mikeltadze addressed the strengthening of the village centre and the further development of the main traffic axes, Landstrasse and Dorfstrasse. The aim was to improve the quality of stay, promote pedestrian movement and reinforce the relationship between public space, landscape and the existing building fabric. Among other measures, the project proposed careful densification while preserving the historic character, the creation of a central meeting point, and the integration of green infrastructure and pedestrian networks.

After returning to their home university, the School of Architecture at the Georgian Technical University, the two students received an award in Georgia. The Association of Architects of Georgia nominated them for a diploma in the category Best Urban Design Student Project as part of the International Architectural Awards 2025.

The University of Liechtenstein is delighted with this recognition and warmly congratulates the two students on their success.

Find out more about the project «‹Darf› Ruggell»

At the invitation of Prof. Dr. Leo Brecht, Max Meier was a guest speaker in the lecture “Entrepreneurial Founding Process.” The event took place on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, and Thursday, October 30, 2025, with Max Meier's guest lecture taking place on Thursday, October 30, 2025.

Max Meier is an entrepreneur, managing partner, and lawyer, and is one of the youngest supervisory board members in the entire DACH region. In his lecture “Founding – From Idea to Execution – Methods from Practice,” he provided practical business and legal insights throughout the entire corporate cycle – from founding to sale – and linked these with personal anecdotes from his own entrepreneurial career.

Using a structured five-step model, Meier guided the students through the various phases of a company – from the initial idea to a successful exit. In doing so, he drew on his diverse experience as a founder, managing director, and supervisory board member in the food & beverage, bioenergy, and asset management/finance sectors.

The highly practical nature of the lecture was particularly impressive: Meier presented real illustrative material from his entrepreneurial activities, including

• original trademark applications from his companies,

• development calculations and business plan excerpts,

• SWOT analyses, and

• pictures from everyday company life and from production and filling processes.

This content was supplemented by detailed anecdotes that gave students an authentic insight into the challenges and success factors of entrepreneurship.

At the end of the approximately two-hour event, the participants joined Meier in examining three case studies of entrepreneurs who have established successful business models in supposedly saturated markets:

• Mate Rimac (automotive industry)

• Sam Altman (software/AI)

• Ben Francis (sportswear)

The students actively participated with questions, assessments, and their own ideas, which led to a lively and interactive exchange.

The lecture was very well attended and received consistently positive feedback. It not only offered participants valuable insights into the theory and practice of starting a business, but also inspiration and motivation to pursue their own entrepreneurial paths.

This year, the study trip for the Executive Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Banking and Financial Market Law at the University of Liechtenstein took students to three major European financial centers: Frankfurt, Luxembourg, and Paris.

The trip began in Frankfurt. At the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, students first gained practical insight into how traditional financial market infrastructure works. This was followed by a visit to AllUnity, where the focus was on current developments relating to stablecoins and digital financial innovations. On the second day, the focus shifted to European financial market supervision. During visits to the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), the mechanisms of banking and insurance supervision were explained: an essential foundation for understanding internationally networked financial markets.

The second stage took the students to Luxembourg. At the EFTA Court, they were welcomed by Liechtenstein judge Dr. Bernd Hammermann, who presented the workings of the court and discussed current issues in EEA law. The following day, the program included a visit to the Court of Justice of the European Union. In addition to attending a hearing, discussions with David Eisendle, LL.M. (WU), from the cabinet of Judge Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Kumin, and with Judge Dr. Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger provided in-depth insights into decision-making processes at the European level.

The trip concluded in Paris. In the French capital, the students visited the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and the European Banking Authority (EBA). At the EBA premises, they also presented the results of their case studies from Module 7. A joint finale in Paris rounded off the study trip.

On October 15, 2025, representatives from Liechtenstein and Indonesia met at the University of Liechtenstein in Vaduz to optimize the economic agreement and deepen cooperation between the two countries. 
The program began with a panel discussion attended by around 30 people. The focus was on how Indonesia can further consolidate and improve the CEPA-EFTA economic agreement. Speakers included the rector of the University of Liechtenstein, the Indonesian ambassador, a lawyer with in-depth expertise in European economic law, and the honorary consul of Indonesia in Liechtenstein. The discussion was moderated by Nicola Benigni, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Liechtenstein.

Diplomatic reception in a festive setting 
Following the panel discussion, the Indonesian Embassy hosted a reception at which H.E. Ngurah Swajaya, Ambassador of Indonesia to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Christine Lingg, Deputy Head of the Office of Foreign Affairs, and Christian Frommelt, Rector of the University of Liechtenstein, gave speeches. The reception was accompanied by Indonesian dances, and guests were able to mingle over a buffet of Indonesian delicacies.

On October 16, 2025, Àngel Solanellas Terés of the architectural practice Solanellas Van Noten Meister shared his thoughts on architecture, craft, and teaching with the students of the Liechtenstein School of Architecture.
The public atelier talk offered insights into the office’s transnational approach and its engagement with materiality and cultural context.

The Liechtenstein School of Architecture regularly hosts open atelier talks and other inspiring events.
More at www.uni.li/architektur

Three graduates of the University of Liechtenstein were awarded prizes for 2025 by the Austrian Federal Chamber of Civil Engineers for their theses.

Dr. Luis Hilti received the “Science Award for Architecture” for his dissertation “Imagined Territories – Design Principles for Transformative Urbanism.” In his doctoral thesis, he examined the interdependence between social sustainability transformations and spatial development in a real environment in Liechtenstein and brings together experts, decision-makers, and civil society actors for an imaginative exchange of ideas.

Alina Dinu was awarded the Research Prize for Architecture for her master's thesis “Danube Delta Settlements: Conservation Potential and Revitalization Scenarios.” In her thesis, she examined the origins, culture, and authenticity of traditional communities in Romania, focusing her study on the abandoned villages of the Danube Delta. Her work serves as a guide for improving and preserving the values of the past while taking into account the needs of the present. It aims to identify architectural intervention options and strategies as a direct response to the identified needs and wishes of the local community.

Lina Gasperi also received the Research Award for Architecture for her study “Genuss-Manufaktur” (Pleasure Factory). In her master's thesis, she examined the city of Dornbirn's desire for a contemporary market hall as a place of culinary enjoyment and public life. The result is an innovative architectural project that offers new culinary delights and strengthens community, identity, authenticity, and awareness in the center of Dornbirn through spatial, social, and sustainable values.

On October 9, 2025, Armin Pedevilla, co-founder of the renowned South Tyrolean architectural office pedevilla architects, shared his wealth of experience with the students of the Liechtenstein School of Architecture in an evening lecture.

Through five selected projects, he illustrated how tradition and innovation in architecture can enter into a harmonious dialogue - by sensitively combining regional materials, artisanal precision, and a contemporary design language. His approach to conscious and site-specific building sparked conversations about responsibility, identity, and sustainability within the Alpine context.

A heartfelt thank-you goes to Univision for the invitation and organization, and to Armin Pedevilla for his inspiring insights into the work of an office that, with calmness and consistency, stands for an architecture of integrity.

Photo: Antonia Trager