Ticino is home to a school of contemporary architecture which has produced names of international fame such as Luigi Snozzi, Aurelio Galfetti and Mario Botta. As a natural consequence in 1996 the Academy of Architecture opened in Mendrisio. Various paths in Ticino will allow you to find and admire their works. In Bellinzona we suggest a visit to the restored medieval castle of Castelgrande, which various ultramodern elements, or the splendid Teatro Sociale. Nearby you will find the Antico Convento delle Agostiniane in Monte Carasso. Other interesting buildings include the ancient Palazzo Casorella in Locarno and Casa Bianda in Losone, the cylindrical Palazzo Botta in Lugano, the radar station on Monte Lema as well as the churches on Monte Tamaro and at Mogno in Vallemaggia.
In the bowels of the earth
The Alptransit tunnel that is still under construction under the St. Gotthard provides a fascinating opportunity for an original architectural visit. The tunnel, with its 57 km, will be the longest railway tunnel in the world. This might sound like a rather inhospitable ambience for an incentive, but Alptransit, at the forefront of modern engineering, has left nothing to chance and in Pollegio you will be able to visit the Infocentro, an ultramodern work of architecture, where you can rent fully equipped rooms for meetings and seminars.
