The ‘Chalet’ is by far the most famous product of Swiss architecture. The wooden dwellings with sloping roof and over hanging eaves, are as much a part of the Swiss landscape as theAlps themselves. The single storey bunkers traditionally served as seasonal farms for dairy cattle in the summer months, and haven’t changed much since these humble beginnings.
But high up on a mountain pass in the Bernese Oberland, a new type of seasonal home has emerged as a stark contrast to the timber heavy squats the country is so famed for. With its back turned to the harsh northerly winds, this contemporary take on the log cabin straddles the vistas to the south via a huge five meter glass pane that invites the landscape to fill its vast, open plan spaces.
Swiss planning regulators favor lots of small, pokey windows, this house is anything but. Rather than shielding its inhabitants from the outdoors, the house embraces the mountainous terrain, with large glass doors opening out onto the wooden terrace that appears to float alongside the house.
With its elegant, concrete slab base, it juts out into the landscape like a beached vessel. The domineering fireplace runs through the core of the building, dragging its brutal lines from the basement to the roof three floors above.
Up the handsome open-tread staircase the bedrooms and bathrooms blend into a continuous passage that invites you to keep moving. The large, panoramic windows throughout keep the house light and airy,while the double insulated walls and thick wood decking keep the cool temperatures out. The sparse furnishings and sleek lines are a bold statement that matches the buildings unrelenting exterior. Rather than cluttering the house with gaudy ornaments and stuffy fixtures, it playso n the sparse landscape it so elegantly sits in.
Traditional chalets have a tendency to shy away from the landscape,sealing off its inhabitants to the beauty of the environment it inhabits. This building however, embraces the countryside with an unyielding arrogance and swagger. Perching precariously at thetip of a mountain, it stares boldly at its surroundings. The interior eschews its contemporary credentials with clean, simple lines and muted colors. But at the same time, it feels traditional,homely, and welcoming. A small homage to the portly abodes that continue to dominate the Swiss landscape. By Matthew Hussey
Recent posts
-
June 24, 2022
Can Brut villa, Ibiza, Spain
Can Brut is a family villa on the island of Ibiza located on an 85,000 square-metre cove plot overlooking Spain’s Balearic Sea. The plot overlooks...
-
June 20, 2022
Canyon House, Los Angeles, California, USA
When Rustic Canyon house was completed in May 2018, one of the residence’s redeeming qualities already then was the surrounding nature. As the 4,100 square-foot...
-
June 13, 2022
Beach Café, Busan, South Korea
Known as the Miami of South Korea, Busan is famous for its beaches and mountains. When the design team at Seoul-based Matter Better Interior Design...
-
May 31, 2022
At The Window/Table – Diana Sosnowska
‘Woman Smoking at The Window’ by UK photographer Diana Sosnowska is a carefully staged photographic self-portrait taken in the artist’s former apartment in Edinburgh, Scotland,...
-
May 30, 2022
Prime Seafood Palace, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Toronto-based restaurateur Matty Matheson is known for many things but subtlety is not one of them. He swears, huffs and waves his hands, and his...
-
May 18, 2022
Barn-Inspired Residence, Hudson Valley, New York State, US
Magic can result when architect and client have known each other for two decades and when both are willing to take the time to consider...
-
May 17, 2022
Private Reading Room, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China
A vast book collection and a trusting friendship between designers and their client helped turn cramped ground-floor rooms into a sun-filled, tranquil private reading room....
-
April 27, 2022
Casa Aire Mountain Retreat, Medellín, Colombia
“It’s not a place to show off, it’s a place for my soul to rest,” says 37-year-old Colombian reggaeton superstar, José Álvaro Osorio Balvín known...
-
April 26, 2022
Beach House Overhaul, East Hampton, New York, USA
The shingle-clad East Hampton beach house, located on the coveted Further Lane, has an illustrious celebrity-amplified past as do so many in the area. It...
-
April 15, 2022
Canyon House Restoration, Brentwood Park, Los Angeles, California, U.S
In interiors, we are not fans of subdued and prissy nor decorative and antique-filled. When we saw the first images of the Californian Canyon house...
-
April 14, 2022
Weekend Music Playlist 37
-
April 6, 2022
The Library, Showroom For luxury Car Collection, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Owning any kind of car today is questionable. Owning a whole collection of luxury cars even more so. But there is no denying that the...