Book excerpt: A transition from traditional building with wood to timber construction engineering took place at the beginning of the 20 th Century. The development of laminated timber construction and new joining techniques made wood a viable alternative material to steel and concrete, but it was the realisation of a number of awe-inspiring structures in the 1960a??s that captured public attention. This publication examines the technical developments in historical context and illustrates these with exemplary applications, thus providing invaluable fundamental knowledge for construction engineers, architects and carpenters. Although focusing on Switzerland, it also includes numerous international projects either built by Swiss architects and engineers, or with a strong influence on the Swiss construction scene.