Our work begins with a desire to understand what binds us together, to give shape to the rituals of daily life—both ordinary and extraordinary—while affirming the worth of each. We strive to make spaces that are more than inert matter, places with a spirit in them: attentive, composed, open. They stand at the threshold where clarity slips into ambiguity, where permanence yields to change, where purpose gives way to possibility.

We pursue an architecture that listens before it speaks. Rooted in the long continuity of building as a civilizational act. A work carried across generations, a collective effort to shape the world so that it may hold meaning.

HÖRNEROPREA Architekten is a Basel-based architectural practice working across a range of scales, typologies, and contexts. We design with clarity and care, focusing on spatial quality and contextual relevance. Our studio offers comprehensive architectural services — from concept to completion.


TEAM

Niklas Erlewein, Vera Hollek, Stefan Hörner, Cristian Oprea, Iben Schneider

Past Collaborators:
Mathew Critchley, Irena Novaka, Miruna Tutoveanu, Mathew Webb, Diana Sava, Mihai Som


PARTNERS

STEFAN HÖRNER studied architecture at the Technical University Berlin and the ETH Zurich, where he received his diploma in 2003. Subsequently he collaborated with Foreign Office Architects (London) among other architectural firms. From 2005 to 2015 he worked  at Herzog & de Meuron (Basel, New York, Miami), designing a series of cultural buildings and becoming Associate in 2013. In 2015, he established Hörner Architekten in Basel. In parallel he was teaching assistant to Prof. Harry Gugger, chair of Laboratoire Bâle, EPFL Lausanne until 2017. From 2018 to 2020 he was partner at Weyell Zipse & Hörner. Since 2023 he has been a partner at HÖRNEROPREA Architekten.

CRISTIAN OPREA studied architecture at UAIUM Bucharest, graduating in 2009. Between 2011 and 2019, he worked for Herzog & de Meuron in Basel on projects such as the Berggruen Institute (US), Tai Kwun - Centre for Heritage & Art  (HK), Triangle (France), Stamford Bridge Stadium (UK), and the Orientalist Museum in Doha. In 2019, he established Studio Oprea in Basel. Since 2023, he has been a partner at HÖRNEROPREA Architekten.