Herzog & de Meuron

135 House in Arlesheim

Arlesheim, Switzerland

Project
1995

The choice location of the property on a sunny slope with old trees and an attractive view determined the architectural concept of this private villa. The evolution of the project traces our efforts to establish a rapport between the steep slope and the structural typology of the home.

In this context, we worked almost exclusively with models in order to keep a handle on the complex spatiality between indoors and outdoors. In the last stage of planning, the house consisted only of a partially curved roof on supports, which echoed the topography of the slope.

Synthetic curtains on the exterior serve as sun screens for the glazed facades. These screens form the outermost layer of a multilayered facade consisting of interior and exterior curtains and glazed facades facing both the countryside and the courtyard. This layering characterizes the entire structure; the resulting definition of space allows its residents to stake out areas of their own that are either intimate and closed off or open to what is going on in the house.

Herzog & de Meuron, 1997

135_MO_9501_501
135_MO_9501_501

Team

Partners
Jacques Herzog
Pierre de Meuron
Project Team
Lukas Bögli

Facts

Planning
Structural Engineering: Ingenieurbüro Helmuth Pauli, Basel, Switzerland
Building Data
Gross floor area (GFA): 6'426 sqft, 597 sqm
Footprint: 4'305 sqft, 400 sqm
Gross volume (GV): 55'267 cbft, 1'565 cbm

Bibliography

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.

Related

Residential

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