Request an HD reproduction

To submit a request, please fill out the online form by selecting the desired document(s) (maximum 20).

Contact details
Please fill in your contact details carefully, ensuring in particular that your email address is correct so that our response can reach you. If the billing address differs from your contact address, please indicate this explicitly.
A quote will be sent before any processing of the order and issuance of the invoice.

Precisely identify the requested document
Reproduction requests must refer to clearly identifiable individual documents, and not to entire archival units (folders, boxes, etc.).
Each document must be described with sufficient detail to allow the archivist to locate it among the dozens or even hundreds of items that may make up a collection or folder.
It is therefore necessary to specify:

• the archival call number
• the exact title of each folder
• the type of document concerned
• the type of reproduction requested (standard or adapted for technical drawings)

Preview
If available, please attach a preview image or photo taken during your on-site consultation to help locate the document within the folder.

Purpose of the request
You will also be asked to indicate the nature of your request (simple private reproduction, reproduction with permission for use, or request for authorization to use files already in your possession), as well as the intended type of use (teaching, research, publication, exhibition, etc.).

Only complete and sufficiently detailed requests can be processed.

This service is intended for scientific, editorial, or professional use. Conditions vary depending on the document format, the nature of the request, and the legal status of the works.

Service offer (fees)
The service is subject to charges. Reproductions are produced manually using high-resolution scanners. Files are delivered in TIFF, JPG, or PDF format, 300 dpi, suitable for scientific or editorial use. Two pricing categories apply based on the original format: A3 or smaller, or larger than A3 (e.g., architectural drawings).

Quotation
A quotation is issued based on the nature of the reproduction requested. The order will only be processed upon receipt of written acceptance of the quotation.

EPFL Members
For scientific publication purposes, EPFL staff members may request up to 10 document reproductions per semester free of charge (300 dpi, A3 maximum output size). This offer is also available to graduating students.

1:1 scale reproduction (professional use only)
A specific pricing applies to 1:1 scale reproductions intended for professional use by architects, notably for the re-drawing of historical architectural drawings, survey work, or transformation studies.

Copyright fees
In the case of publication or dissemination, copyright fees may apply when the Archives de la construction moderne hold the rights to the reproduced works, including for non-commercial use (exhibitions, publications, online dissemination, etc.).

It is possible to take free photographs for personal research purposes of documents consulted in the reading room, subject to the following conditions:

• Photography is permitted only using the tablet provided by the Acm. Files are saved to a secure central unit, then sent electronically to the user after an EPFL watermark has been applied.
• Images may be used strictly for private purposes, within the scope of the consultation, and must not be published, distributed, or shared with third parties under any circumstances.

The same legal conditions apply as for reproductions provided by the internal or outsourced service, particularly with regard to:

• Copyright (author attribution required, reuse prohibited without permission);
• Personal data (prohibition on reproducing documents containing identifiable information).

If you require high-resolution files for publication or editorial use, please refer to our service offer.

The reproduction or dissemination of archival documents requires compliance with specific rules concerning source citation and attribution of authorship. These obligations ensure the traceability of documents, the valorization of heritage collections, and the respect of copyright, in accordance with Swiss legislation.

Provenance Statement
Any use of reproduced documents must include a provenance statement, in one of the following forms:
Full form:

• Archives de la construction moderne (ACM), EPFL. Name of the collection/fonds.

Abbreviated form:

• ACM-EPFL. Name of the collection/fonds.

Source Citation
Any quotation, publication, or dissemination of a document must follow precise rules regarding source citation to ensure traceability and verifiability of the work:

• [Author (Last name First name)]. [Title]. [Subtitle], [Date]. Archives de la construction moderne (ACM), EPFL. [Collection/Fonds], [Archival reference].

Example:

• Alice Biro. Maison Biro, Gockhausen, 1964–1965. Plans, section, elevations, 01 December 1964. Archives de la construction moderne (ACM), EPFL. A. Biro Fonds, 0136.04.0035.

Authorship Attribution
In accordance with the Swiss Federal Act on Copyright and Related Rights (CopA, RS 231.1), the name of the author must be mentioned in any public dissemination of a work, including for non-commercial purposes. This legal requirement also applies to archival documents reproduced with authorization. Failure to comply may constitute a violation of the author’s moral rights and compromise the lawful use of the document; civil or criminal sanctions may be pursued by the rights holders.
Users are therefore responsible for ensuring that authorship is systematically credited in proximity to any reproduction, in accordance with the principles of moral rights under copyright law.

Documents held at Acm may be protected under copyright, according to the Federal Act on Copyright and Related Rights (CopA, RS 231.1).
Obtaining a reproduction does not imply any transfer of rights or permission to disseminate.

Copyright ownership
Acm does not necessarily hold the copyright for the documents it preserves. For example:

• when the physical donation did not include an explicit copyright transfer (please inquire with the archivists);
• for collective works where rights are shared with third parties;
• for photographs taken by third parties (commissioned photographer, family member, external collaborator, etc.);
• for documents signed or produced by individuals other than the main creator (engineers, contractors, journalists, etc.).

Note: unless exceptions apply, copyright generally expires 70 years after the author’s death (not from creation or publication date).

User responsibility
Each user must verify the legal status of the documents they wish to use, reproduce, or disseminate and, where applicable, contact the rights holders (authors or heirs). Author credit is mandatory in all public reproductions, under the moral rights provision of the CopA. Failure to comply may lead to legal action.

Orphan works and collective management
For orphan works (documents with unknown or unidentifiable authors), we recommend contacting ProLitteris, the Swiss collective rights management society.

Generally, any public use of a protected document requires explicit authorization, whether for scientific, educational, editorial, or museum purposes—even non-commercial ones.

All consultation requests are subject to prior assessment based on legal, contractual, and material criteria. Acm reserves the right to deny access if the request violates applicable legislation, donor-imposed conditions, or preservation standards.

Legal provisions (personal data)
Federal and cantonal laws (e.g., data protection or professional secrecy) must not prohibit or restrict access or reproduction.

Overriding public or private interest
Reproduction or dissemination must not harm privacy or compromise higher interests (security, public order, etc.).

Contractual restrictions
Some documents are subject to specific contractual terms set by donors or depositors. These may restrict or prohibit reproduction.

Material condition of the document
Reproduction may be denied if the document’s condition does not allow safe handling. This applies particularly to:

• very fragile media (acidic paper, old tracing paper, brittle or folded documents);
• unstable formats not compatible with scanning equipment;
• damaged documents affected by moisture, light, insects, or deterioration;
• documents with unstable surfaces, such as pastel, wax pencil, charcoal, or sprayed ink, where reproduction may cause damage or material transfer.

Decisions are made by Acm staff, based on preservation evaluation, and in accordance with heritage conservation principles.

When submitting a consultation request, users accept without reservation the conditions for consultation and use, by ticking the corresponding box in the request form.
The conditions are as follows:

Conditions of use: Reproductions may only be used for the stated purpose, as specified in the initial request, and may not be shared with third parties without prior explicit authorization. Any further use requires a new formal request. This ensures compliance with copyright law and prevents unauthorized use of documents from the Archives de la construction moderne.

Copyright: Users assume full responsibility for obtaining authorization from any rightsholders other than the Archives de la construction moderne. They must ensure that the author’s name is always cited alongside any authorized reproduction, in compliance with legal requirements.

Personal data: Users are fully responsible for securing authorization from any individuals affected by personality rights. In line with data protection legislation², access to documents must comply with applicable legal requirements. Users must not use personal data for publication or public dissemination and must not attempt to identify individuals. Data may only be shared with third parties if prior written consent is obtained and if legally permitted.

Credits: Users must include the provenance and, if not otherwise indicated, the photo credit. The source must be cited as: “Archives de la construction moderne – EPFL, fonds name”.

Copy for records: After publication, users agree to send the Archives de la construction moderne a copy of any publication in which reproductions of their documents were used. This helps track how archival materials are being used.

Commitment: Users formally agree that their use of information from consulted documents will not violate any legal rights or protected interests. They will not disclose any information that could affect national security, public safety, personal privacy, or property rights. They agree to hold harmless the Archives de la construction moderne and EPFL from any third-party claims related to intellectual property, privacy, or other rights.

Acceptance: By consulting the documents or using reproductions, users expressly accept the terms and conditions in this disclaimer and commit to complying with copyright and data protection laws.

1) Federal Act of 9 October 1992 on Copyright and Related Rights (CopA, RS 231.1).
2) Federal Act of 25 september 2020 on Data Protection (FADP, RS 235.1).

Digitization is neither automatic nor universal. It is a long, costly, and technically complex process that requires careful prioritization based on conservation, access, and available resources.
Many documents are not eligible for digitization, for several reasons:
– unusual formats (plans, rolls, mixed media);
– fragile material condition that prevents safe handling;
– legal constraints, especially regarding personal data protection or copyright that restrict reproduction or distribution.
Moreover, digitization does not ensure long-term accessibility: digital files require infrastructure, standardized metadata, and ongoing migration processes to remain usable. This technological dependence also has a significant environmental cost, linked to energy consumption, hardware production and renewal, and data center management.
For these reasons, digitization is carried out gradually and selectively, and on-site consultation remains the standard for most holdings.