Beate Schnitter

Beate Schnitter was a Swiss architect from Zurich. She was the niece of architect Lux Guyer and took over Guyer's architectural office in 1955.

Early life and education

Beate Schnitter was born on 20 August 1929 in Zurich to Erwin Schnitter, an engineer, and Rosie Guyer, a teacher and writer. She was the niece of architect Lux Guyer. Schnitter was Protestant and remained unmarried throughout her life. She obtained her diploma in architecture from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich in 1953.

After graduation, Schnitter worked in Amsterdam, Paris, and Zurich. In 1955, she took over Lux Guyer's architectural office in Zurich. She participated in the Swiss National Exhibition of 1958, working in association on the rue des échoppes, la Ligne, and the press pavilion.
Her notable projects included the Eiwog housing development in Stäfa, numerous villas and vacation homes, and several important restorations of historic buildings. Among her restoration work was the reconstruction of Gottfried Semper's Federal Observatory to its original state, completed between 1988 and 1997.

Schnitter was a co-founder of the Zurich working group on urban planning in 1958. She served as an architectural advisor for Heimatschutz and for the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites, working in the field of historic preservation. She was a member of the Swiss [Society of Engineers and Architects], the Federation of Swiss Architects, and served on the committee of Swiss Heimatschutz.