It was founded in 1993 by the synergy of Pia Durisch and Aldo Nolli.

Together the two owners intensively follow all projects of the firm. From the very beginning they are distinguished by an independent approach to local architecture and some remarkable urban interventions. The firm’s vocation is mainly directed toward public utility projects, heritage conservation, and city architecture.

Early works include the Swisscom Service Center in Giubiasco and the renovation of the Teatro Sociale in Bellinzona (1993-1997) with Giancarlo Durisch, the restoration of the Monastery of Santa Maria Assunta above Claro (1997-2005) and the House for a Sculptor in Mendrisio (2000), which was awarded the SIA Prize as the best private building in Ticino for the period from 1998 to 2003. This was followed by multiple public commissions in the fields of culture, education and institutions, including the Cultural Center in Chiasso with MaxMuseo and Spazio Officina in 2005, the Professional Training Center of the Swiss Society of Building Contractors SSIC in Gordola in 2011, and the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona with Bearth & Deplazes in 2013. With these buildings, Durisch+Nolli won every edition of the SIA Prize in a decade (2003-2015). More recent achievements include the 280-student residential complex in Lucerne for the Student Mentor Foundation in 2013, the Nosedo School Center in Massagno in 2017 with Giraudi Radczuweit, the Nordic Ski Center in Campra, and the Administrative Building in Via Trevano in Lugano in 2019.

In 2012 they won the international AIT Global Award for the very best in Interior and Architecture in the “Education” category, in 2014 the Prix Acier for the best steel building built in Switzerland, and in 2021 the Prix Lignum. By participating in international competitions, in recent times they acquire important projects outside the Canton of Ticino, such as the Assembly and Arts Building of Aiglon College (2017), the new headquarters for Swiss Television SRF in Zurich (2017), the renovation of the Pontifical Swiss Guard Barracks in the Vatican (2019), and the Center of the Directorate of Technical Services of the City of St. Gallen (2020).

However, Durisch + Nolli’s commitment to the common good also continues in Ticino, with projects devoted to sustainability and reuse, such as the project for the Liceo Cantonale in Bellinzona (2018), the redevelopment of the area of the Ex-Macello Pubblico in Lugano in 2020, and the new Canteen and Square of the Organizzazione Sociopsichiatrica Cantonale OSC in Mendrisio acquired in 2022.

In 2000 they taught at the University of Illinois (UIUC). In 2006 they taught at the IUAV University of Venice, Faculty of Architecture. In 2011-2013 they are visiting professors at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL. In 2014-2018 they were invited professors at the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio AAM.

Balanced Structures by Schnetzer Puskas