128 House in Leymen – Herzog & de Meuron

Project: 1996
Realization: 1997

The exterior shape of the house might be seen as a prototypical house. A sloping roof, a tall chimney and large windows remind one of a child’s drawing. The tar-board roof and the unfinished concrete facades flow almost seamlessly into one another without an overhang.

The simple monolithic building is exposed to wind and weather; rainwater runs down it as it would run down a boulder. The unfinished concrete walls of the façades emphasize the weight and materiality of the building, but being raised off the ground as if on stilts lightens its appearance. The projecting decks at the sides of the house reinforce this image of lightness and of suspension over the landscape. Fruit trees and meadows underline the agricultural character of the garden that is barely distinguishable from the surrounding landscape. The interior of the house is characterized by contrasting spatial qualities and materials, such as concrete, adobe, and colors such as silver and pink. The staircase which reaches up to the roof is especially spectacular.

Herzog & de Meuron, 1997

Process

The house is a compact concrete volume reminiscent of an erratic block into which the windows are cut like holes. The opening reaching across two floors provides the room with width.

The house on steel columns floats as a compact volume in front of the slope on the north side. The stairway extends the entire height of the building. Bathtub enclosures take up the concrete shell theme of the house.

The area beneath the house offers protection while making the load of the volume tangible. A freestanding stairway leads into the living area.

Drawings

Team

Partners: Jacques Herzog; Pierre de Meuron
Project Team: Lukas Bögli (Project Architect)

Facts

Planning: Construction Management: Herzog & de Meuron Basel Ltd., Basel, Switzerland; Structural Engineering: H.P.Frei, Bauingenieur, Basel, Switzerland (Collaboration F. Männel)
Building Data: Site Area: 10'118 sqft, 940 sqm; Gross floor area (GFA): 2'798 sqft, 260 sqm; Footprint: 1'722 sqft, 160 sqm; Gross volume (GV): 42'377 cbft, 1'200 cbm

Bibliography

Gerhard Mack, Herzog & de Meuron: “Herzog & de Meuron 1992-1996. The Complete Works. Volume 3.” Edited by: Gerhard Mack. Chinese ed. Beijing, China Architecture & Building Press, 2010. Vol. No. 3.

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

Fernando Márquez Cecilia, Richard Levene (Eds.): “El Croquis. Herzog & de Meuron 1981-2000. Between the Face and the Landscape. The Cunning of Cosmetics. Entre el Rostro y el Paisaje. La Astucia de la Cosmética.” 2nd adv. and rev. ed. Vol. No. 60+84, Madrid, El Croquis, 2005.

Nobuyuki Yoshida (Ed.): “Architecture and Urbanism. Herzog & de Meuron 1978-2002.” Tokyo, A+U Publishing Co., Ltd., 02.2002.

“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 Müller, 2005.

Luis Fernández-Galiano (Ed.): “Arquitectura Viva. Herzog & de Meuron 1980-2000.” Vol. No. 77, Madrid, Arquitectura Viva, 07.1999.

Jacques Herzog, Sabine Kraft, Christian Kühn: “Mit allen Sinnen spüren. Jacques Herzog im Gespräch mit Sabine Kraft und Christian Kühn.” In: Sabine Kraft, Nikolaus Kuhnert, Günther Uhlig (Eds.). “Archplus. Zeitschrift für Architektur und Städtebau. Architektur natürlich.” Vol. No. 142, Aachen, ARCH+ Verlag GmbH, 07.1998. pp. 32-39.

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