Switzerland
Assistant Professor (tenure track) / Professor of History of Art and Architectural Culture
The Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich invites applications for the above-mentioned position. The professorship is located at the Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture (GTA).
The new professor will develop state-of-the-art and leading teaching and research in the history and theory of art and architectural culture, across any time or period. In particular, she/he will address the relationship between architecture and the image by bringing innovative questions, tools, and methods from the field of art history to bear on the visual culture of architecture. She/he will foster relationships between the domains of art, media, and architecture, both contemporary and historical, and engage in interdisciplinary collaboration by exploring the connections between the visual culture of architecture and digital culture, science, technology, and the arts.
The successful candidate will be responsible for providing a rigorous historical and critical education in visual literacy within the BSc and MSc programmes in Architecture. The professorship is expected to contribute to the further development of the curriculum, and – through its inherently interdisciplinary orientation – to innovation in teaching. At the assistant professor level, the main teaching responsibilities include courses in the MSc programme in Architecture. Collaboration with architectural design studios at the BSc level, particularly in addressing the role of images in design, is encouraged. At the associate/full professor level, teaching responsibilities additionally include courses in the BSc programme in Architecture. Courses at ETH Zurich are generally taught in German or English.
The new professor will collaborate with professorships within the department and across other departments at ETH Zurich. Of particular importance is the collaboration with the professorships of the Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture (gta), including engagement with and support for the Institute’s four divisions: gta Archive, gta Exhibition, gta Digital, and gta Verlag.
Successful candidates are emerging or established leaders in their field, with a strong and growing local and international network of peers. Required qualifications include a PhD in the history of art or media, the ability to lead a team, and excellent teaching skills. The candidate's record of research is demonstrated through academic publications in books and journals, the (co-)curation of exhibitions, the organisation of scholarly events at national and international levels, and collaborations with actors and institutions both within and beyond academia.
The professorship should act as both a critical and stimulating interlocutor within the department, across other departments and labs at ETH, and beyond.
Assistant professorships have been established to promote the careers of early-career scientists. ETH Zurich implements a tenure track system equivalent to that of other top international universities. The level of the appointment will depend on the successful candidate's qualifications.
ETH Zurich is an equal opportunity and family-friendly employer, values diversity, and is responsive to the needs of dual-career couples and care responsibilities. Please apply online here.
Applications should include a covering letter; a curriculum vitae; a list of publications; three statements on a) research, b) teaching, c) leadership; three key publications; descriptions of the three most important achievements; and a certificate of the highest degree. Please note that the covering letter should be formally addressed to the President of ETH Zurich, Prof. Dr. Joël Mesot. The closing date for applications is November 30, 2026.
