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Mountain crowned with architectural flower

Monte Generoso has become the latest site to be adorned by a building designed by star architect, Mario Botta. (SRF/swissinfo.ch)

For Botta, the 20-Million-franc structure, named ‘fiore di pietra’ (stone flower), represents a coming home of sorts. The architect grew up with a view of the mountain, and as a youngster spent a lot of time there.

Botta’s commissions over years include the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Watari Museum in Tokyo as well as numerous commercial buildings, public offices, churches and chapels throughout Europe.

To complete his most recent project, a special cable car had to be built in order to transport the building material to the site atop Monte Generoso.

Damaged by a landslide, the former hotel and restaurant on the site had to be torn down.

Back in 1941 Gottlieb Duttweiler, the founder of Swiss retailer Migros, bought the Monte Generoso cog railway to save it from being dismantled. And it was Migros who financed most of the construction of the new building.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR