NO. 293
<br />PARK AVENUE ARMORY
<br />PART 2NO. 293
PARK AVENUE ARMORY
PART 2

005 BLUE HOUSE

005
Blue House
Oberwil, Switzerland
Project 1979, realization 1979-1980

Taking on the superficial configuration of different elements of the surrounding suburban houses, the Blue House at once aligns with and distances itself from its neighbours. The curvature of the northern concrete block wall appears to give the building more volume and weight; an impression that is, however, revoked by the thin layer of ultramarine paint (Yves Klein’s favourite colour) that allows the brush stroke to remain visible. The impression of fragility is also emphasised by the manifestation of the construction joint on the street facade with its eccentrically placed, prefabricated reinforced-concrete window opening.

The building opens towards the garden by means of a loggia-like balcony. On the inside a filigreed, curved metal staircase leads to the attic. The provision of a partially walled garden establishes a theme that is taken up again in the House for an Art Collector.
Herzog & de Meuron, 1995
> IMAGE
© 2012, by Herzog & de Meuron Basel. All Rights Reserved