the search for the “general solution” and the path to a “systematic approach to building” are exemplified in fritz haller’s work by his school and educational buildings:

• elementary school buchs, ag 1949-50
• elementary school wasgenring, basel 1953-54
• weststadtschule solothurn 1958-59
• bellach school near solothurn 1959- 60
• secondary school wasgenring, basel 1960-62
• cantonal school baden 1962-64
• higher technical college brugg-windisch 1964-66
• sbb training center löwenberg, murten 1980-82
• cantonal school solothurn extension, science wing 1991-93

the respective technical possibilities were consistently exploited and the solutions continuously refined. for fritz haller, the complete buildings were prototypes of his research work, milestones towards the goal of the “general solution”.

in 1964-66, fritz haller completed a highly adaptable building for the first time with the brugg-windisch higher technical college. the school was newly founded and the requirement for adaptability was tantamount, as the future users could only determine the spatial program during the construction phase. the load-bearing structure of the building consists of clamped steel columns and rigidly connected truss girders. additional bracing elements could be completely dispensed with. the entire interior was constructed from easily relocatable building elements. it soon became apparent, however, that it was not the changes to the space itself (moving the element walls) but the necessary adjustments to the media access that were problematic. this gave rise to the idea of developing a complete construction kit with integrated media planning for multi-storey, highly installed buildings. fritz haller realized that this would require comprehensive object-independent model studies that could not be carried out as part of an active construction project.

this was the beginning of the project “MIDI-ARMILLA, a model for extensive computer-aided design, construction and operation of buildings”. the aim of this research project was “the development of new tools that should significantly improve the quality of the design and construction of piping systems in highly installed buildings. it should be possible to design the piping systems using computers, to manufacture the individual piping parts industrially as elements of piping construction kits and to rationalize the assembly on the building. ARMILLA is a three-dimensional system that organizes the installation spaces in all their interrelationships… all components are mutually coordinated via a general modular order as elementary subsystems. this also applies to all installation systems. the arrangement of the cable networks in three-dimensional modular grids determines many parts of the other construction elements… the elements of the media network can be prefabricated and the cable coordination and control are facilitated and thus improved. the spaces provided for later installations remain empty because they are part of a spatial order.” (see MIDI an open system for multi-storey buildings with integrated media installation-werk 11/76)

fritz haller has been developing and refining the MIDI-ARMILLA project for over forty years. many people have accompanied him and were involved in this complex research and development work, in particular the “institute for industrial building production ifib” at the university of karlsruhe, but also therese beyeler and various employees in fritz haller’s architectural office.

christian müller, 2bm architects

the following studies and prototypes (completed buildings) were created in connection with the “MIDI-ARMILLA” project:

• MIDI 600 steel construction system
  development from ca.1967
  construction of the information pavilion at the kaiseraugst nuclear power plant in 1977
• steel construction system MIDI 1000 (study)
  development from approx. 1973 / first complete building construction kit with supporting structure, stairs, lift, façade, floor slab, roof slab, installations, suspended ceiling, interior wall…
  no construction / detailed model
  publications
  “bauen+wohnen 11/1975 open building systems”
  peter rodemeier/fritz haller (plans therese beyeler) page 429-438 “USM bausysteme haller”, 1975

• MIDI 1000 steel construction system (design)
  development from 1978 further development MIDI 1000 (study) design “SBB training center löwenberg murten” 1980-1982