Swiss Mobile Houses

Presence Switzerland, the unit of the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs responsible for maintaining Switzerland's image abroad, has developed a new way of promoting Switzerland's image abroad in the form of mobile houses. These Swiss mobile houses are described by the Swiss Embassy as a "flexible and creative vehicle for public diplomacy promoting Swiss interests." The construction of the four Swiss mobile houses cost about two million Swiss francs and will help showcase and promote Switzerland's interests in the economy, science, political systems, sports, gastronomy, and culture. Presence Switzerland also aims to promote Swiss entrepreneurs, athletes, scientists and artists, as well as demonstrate Swiss interest in international events by hosting different events with sponsorship from other international organizations. The houses will be shipped to their destination to serve as a temporary activities venue, and will be broken down and shipped to their next location, as dictated by Switzerland's international public diplomacy agenda.

The Swiss mobile houses were designed by the Zurich-based architectural firm, Spillmann Echsle. Presence Switzerland requested a design that was both modern and traditionally Swiss to represent Switzerland's past and present. The end result was a set of wooden houses inspired by the country’s mountain chalets with a modern twist. The exterior of the houses are made up of flat wooden panels, with high ceilings and long glass windows that allow light to flow in and out of the houses. All of the construction materials, namely the wood, were grown and harvested in Switzerland, which was a very important aspect of the project. Of the mobile houses, Ambassador Nicolas Bideau, head of Presence Switzerland, states that they"…allow us to recreate a miniature version of Switzerland throughout the world, and recreating a Swiss atmosphere abroad is one of the best marketing tools to promote our country."

Presence Switzerland premiered the mobile houses at the 2014 Sochi Olympics in the Olympic Village with much success. The next stop for the mobile houses will be the Milan leg of the Giro de Gusto festival in Italy from May 1^st to May 10^th. This festival is considered the lead-up event to the 2015 World Expo in Milan, which is important for Swiss image given its large population of Italians and Italian-speakers. The mobile houses will also be utilized during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Given the success of these houses thus far, Switzerland is making headway in promoting its public image, as its public diplomacy effort is being well-received by international publics.  

Full Article: http://houseofswitzerland.org/ru/detail-news/106