Santiago Espitia Berndt

Santiago Espitia Berndt completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies in architecture at the ETH Zurich in 2011, receiving both the ETH Medal and the ETH Hatt-Bucher Prize. Before joining Herzog & de Meuron, he conducted research at the ETH Studio Basel – Contemporary City Institute, focusing on urban conditions in the Middle East, particularly Damascus, as well as large-scale landscape and infrastructural interventions.

Since joining Herzog & de Meuron in 2011, he became an Associate in 2017 and a Partner in 2020. His work spans a wide range of typologies, from small-scale architectural interventions to large-scale urban developments. Notable projects include the Jade residential tower in Miami, the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem, and the Berggruen Institute Campus in Los Angeles. His work spans a wide range of typologies, from small-scale architectural interventions to large-scale urban developments and masterplanning. His work includes the major Grasbrook District masterplanin Hamburg, the Jade residential tower in Miami and the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. He is well versed in the design of office buildings, including Alba-Haus in Allschwil, Herzog & de Meuron’s new office at Mailand-Strasse in Basel, The Verse, a large-scale refurbishment project in Munich and a renovation and extension of the UBS building at Paradeplatz in Zurich.

He has been invited to lecture at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, the Università della Svizzera italiana in Mendrisio, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Rome program at the Pantheon Institute.