Jacques Herzog

Swiss architect

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July 15, 2026

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Jacques Herzog is a Swiss architect, co-founder of the firm Herzog & de Meuron. He and his partner, Pierre de Meuron, are renowned for their innovative use of materials and reinterpretation of traditional architectural elements.1

Herzog and de Meuron, friends since childhood, did not initially study architecture. Herzog pursued commercial design and biology before turning to architecture, while de Meuron studied civil engineering. They both graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in 1975.1

Their notable projects include the conversion of a power plant into the Tate Modern in London, the Dominus Winery in California, and the National Stadium in Beijing, known as the "Bird's Nest". They were jointly awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2001.1

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Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron
Friends and schoolmates during childhood, Herzog and de Meuron began at an early age to work together on drawings and models. Neither initially studied architecture in college. Herzog studied commercial design before attending the University of Basel to study biology and chemistry, and de Meuron pursued a degree in civil…
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Friends and schoolmates during childhood, Herzog and de Meuron began at an early age to work together on drawings and models. Neither initially studied architecture in college. Herzog studied commercial design before attending the University of Basel to study biology and chemistry, and de Meuron pursued a degree in civil…
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Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
…building designed by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, the de Young reopened as a state-of-the-art facility, extending over 293,000 square feet (27,220 square metres).
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…building designed by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, the de Young reopened as a state-of-the-art facility, extending over 293,000 square feet (27,220 square metres).
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Tate galleries
…station designed by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. The architects later designed an extension called Switch House, which opened in 2016. Instead of being arranged by school or chronology, the museum’s art holdings are displayed according to subject matter, and all significant movements from the 20th century…
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…station designed by Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. The architects later designed an extension called Switch House, which opened in 2016. Instead of being arranged by school or chronology, the museum’s art holdings are displayed according to subject matter, and all significant movements from the 20th century…
Read More