Inside Story  ·  Milestone

Preserving the Memory of Interiors: A Conversation with IFI Past President & Fellow, Verena Huber

October 14, 2026

IFI VOICES celebrates the people, ideas and initiatives within the IFI community that continue to advance the knowledge, culture and future of Interiors.

Words by: Hanan Khair

In this edition, IFI recognises Past President and Fellow Verena Huber and an initiative that extends her longstanding contribution to the field: the Interior Architecture Archive in Switzerland.

Interiors hold extraordinary records of everyday life, yet they are also among the most vulnerable aspects of our built environment. As spaces are altered, adapted or erased, the evidence of how people lived, worked and experienced them can disappear. Verena’s work asks how these histories might instead be documented, preserved and shared.

For IFI, her initiative also speaks to a longstanding purpose: connecting knowledge and people across cultures, generations and geographies, while strengthening the collective understanding of Interiors worldwide.

Here, Verena reflects on memory, archives and the responsibility to carry the knowledge embedded in Interiors forward.

Interiors are among the most frequently altered or lost aspects off our built environment. Why is it important that they are documented, preserved and understood as part of our cultural heritage?

Interiors are reflecting everyday life, are expression of everyday culture. New functions, new entrepreneurs or builders, or just following new Design trends interiors may be changed to a new style. The design of interiors as part of cultural heritage tells about history of everyday life.

Through your work with the Interiors Archives initiative, what have you discovered about the stories that interiors tell which architecture alone cannot?

The Interior Architecture Archive is based on my experience as a professional Interior Architect. Architecture is planned for the intended use and for the environment. The language of the architect can be understood in the context of history of architecture. Architects may be integrated in the history or they may create new trends. Interior architects tell the stories of the users and may accept the traces of the users. 

Family resort Scuol 1980 © Verena Huber, photo by Arina Nozhova
As design continues to evolve rapidly, what responsibility do today’s designers have to document their work for future generations, and how might the profession do this more effectively?

The rapid evolution of design follows the rapid change of trends. While industrial design is commissioned by producers or commercial investors, interior design represents the resident in their private environment, the professionals in their workplace and the visitors in public spaces. The documentation of interior architecture should provide storytelling. In their documents they introduce the idea of the project, its design process as well as life in the space including the traces of the users.

Interdesign Tbilisi 1980 © Verena Huber, photo by Arina Nozhova
Looking ahead, what role do you believe IFI can play in preserving, celebrating and advancing the collective knowledge and legacy of interiors internationally?

Digital archives open doors to an infinite quantity of documents. But they also open doors to meetings with people – with people of various locations, different generations and opposite opinions. IFI might open doors worldwide. Traveling we might visit colleagues at their home. Open doors encourage personal respect and understanding of other ways of thinking and design. We are open to IFI friendships.

Swiss Interior Architecture Archives General meeting 2026 © VSI.ASAI

For more information, visit IFI’s official website. 

Images courtesy of IFI.


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