Herzog & de Meuron
Project
1984
Realization
1985

As an addition to a house on a corner site, the new volume has a visible entrance from the street in order to provide public access to the private marionettes theatre. Accordingly, the new building is thought of as a lightweight box, like a musical instrument, sitting on projecting sleepers and consisting of plywood sheets in a balloon-frame construction that recalls the traditional craftsmanship of Japan. The roof, the main room and the bearing structure are all clearly articulated. Plywood on the inside is also used to form the shutters.

The addition’s relationship to a mature Paulownia tree elicits an embracing gesture in the south façade. Together with the double posts of the central bay and the three-sided enclosure, the reentrant south façade recalls Le Corbusier’s Swiss Pavilion (Cité Universitaire, Paris 1930), while the refined detailing with the larger overhang of the roof and the smaller ledges above the windows are perhaps more reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Herzog & de Meuron, 1988

027_CP_8903_700_MS
027_CP_8903_700_MS
027_CP_8512_500
027_CP_8512_500
027_CP_8512_505
027_CP_8512_505
027_CP_8512_501
027_CP_8512_501
027_CP_8512_503
027_CP_8512_503
027_CP_8512_508
027_CP_8512_508
027_CP_8512_509
027_CP_8512_509
027_CP_8512_506
027_CP_8512_506

Drawings

027_DR_8412_500
027_DR_8412_500
027_DR_8412_503
027_DR_8412_503
027_DR_8412_501
027_DR_8412_501
027_DR_8412_502
027_DR_8412_502
027_DT_8412_501
027_DT_8412_501
027_DT_8412_500
027_DT_8412_500
027_DT_8412_502
027_DT_8412_502

Team

Project Team
Renée Lévy (Project Architect)

Facts

Planning
Construction Management: Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
Structural Engineering: Helmut Pauli, IngenieurbĂĽro Schaub, Basel, Switzerland
Specialist / Consulting
Wainscot: HĂĽrzeler AG, Magden, Switzerland
Building Data
Gross floor area (GFA): 2'400 sqft, 223 sqm
Gross volume (GV): 24'190 cbft, 685 cbm

Bibliography

Luis Fernández-Galiano (Ed.): “Arquitectura Viva. Herzog & de Meuron 1978-2007.” 2nd rev. ed. Madrid, Arquitectura Viva, 2007.

“Herzog & de Meuron. Natural History.” Edited by: Philip Ursprung. Exh. Cat. “Herzog & de Meuron. Archaeology of the Mind.” Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal. 23 October 2002 – 6 April 2003. 2nd ed. Baden, Lars MĂĽller, 2005.

Wilfried Wang: “Herzog & de Meuron.” 3rd adv. and rev. ed. Basel / Boston / Berlin, Birkhäuser, 1998. (= Studiopaperback).

Gerhard Mack, Herzog & de Meuron: “Herzog & de Meuron 1978-1988. Das Gesamtwerk. Band 1. The Complete Works. Volume 1.” Edited by: Gerhard Mack. Basel / Boston / Berlin, Birkhäuser, 1997. Vol. No. 1.

Jacques Herzog: “Die verborgene Geometrie der Natur. The Hidden Geometry of Nature.” In: Gerhard Mack (Ed.). “Herzog & de Meuron 1978-1988. Das Gesamtwerk. Band 1. The Complete Works. Volume 1.” Basel / Boston / Berlin, Birkhäuser, 1997. Vol. No. 1. pp. 207-211. First published in: Jacques Herzog: “La Geometria oculta de la Naturalesa. The Hidden Geometry of Nature.”
In: Josep LluĂ­s Mateo (Ed.). “Quaderns d’Arquitectura i Urbanisme. Geogafies. Geographies.” Vol. No. 181/182, Barcelona, Col-legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya. Association of Catalan Architects, 09.1989. pp. 96-109.

“Einfamilienhaus in Bottmingen, 1985. Jacques Herzog & Pierre de Meuron, Architekten BSA.” In: Kommission fĂĽr das Baselbieter Heimatbuch (Ed.). “Baselbieter Heimatbuch 16. Siedlung und Umwelt.” Liestal, Verlag des Kantons Basel-Landschaft, 1987. Vol. No. 16. pp. 31-33.

Simone RĂĽmmele: “Um einen Baum herum gebaut. Ein Holzhaus in Bottmingen.” In: “Aktuelles Bauen. Schweizerisches Magazin fĂĽr Bauen, Architektur und Planung.” Vol. No. 4, Solothurn, Vogt-Schild AG, 04.1986. pp. 44-48.

Martin Steinmann: “Nuove Tendenze. Osservazioni sull’Architettura recente nella Svizzera Tedesca.” In: Claudio Negrini, Giancarlo Rè (Eds.). “Rivista Tecnica. Mensile della Svizzera italiana di Architettura e Ingegneria.” Vol. No. 1/2, Bellinzona, Grassi & Co., 01.1986. pp. 27-32.

Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron, Martin Steinmann: “Reden ĂĽber Holz. Propos sur le bois. Archithese-Gespräch mit Michael Alder, Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron und Peter Zumthor. DĂ©bat organisĂ© par Archithese entre Michael Alder, Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron et Peter Zumthor.” In: Verband freierwerbender Schweizer Architekten. FĂ©dĂ©ration Suisse des Architectes IndĂ©pendants (FSAI) (Ed.). “Archithese. Zeitschrift und Schriftenreihe fĂĽr Architektur und Kunst. Revue thĂ©matique d’Architecture et d’Art. Bauen mit Holz.” Vol. No. 5, Niederteufen, Arthur Niggli AG, 09.1985. pp. 2-15.