Winner: Architect of the Year 2018. This Swiss practice was founded in 1998 by Emanuel Christ and Christoph Gantenbein.

Christ & Gantenbein, based in Basel, Switzerland, works with the existent in a way that showcases processes of both continuity and transformation. The studio's use of materials is sensitive yet versatile and its projects tend to combine the ancient and the modern in interesting ways.

A broad range of commissions has shaped the Swiss studio's body of work, encompassing different scales from individual residences, institutional buildings, infrastructures and masterplans.

Judges comments: "This studio has built a substantial body of work and has a clearly mature portfolio. It shows impressive craftsmanship and has mastered technology in construction. It is particularly good at using historical references to design something that still manages to feel contemporary."

Studio: Christ & Gantenbein
Winner of: Architect of the year
Read more: Christ & Gantenbein

This special award is sponsored by Laufen.