Location: Sempach, Lucerne, Switzerland Year of construction: 1988 Architect: Werner Hunziker Photography: A. Zimmermann
The rather surprising location of this modern design is the historic Swiss village of Sempach. Sempach has remained faithful to the traditional architectural style of the region and it took two years of intense debate with the local authorities – who believed that the structure and color of the building would ruin the countryside – before Werner Hunziker finally won approval from architectural circles. Yet even now the building still makes some of the area’s inhabitants rather uncomfortable.
It is a private house, surrounded by dense vegetation in summer and by a carpet of snow in the winter. The site is basically fiat, though with certain irregularities. On one side the building extends towards the wood, concealing the lawn at the rear.
The original idea for the structure was based on that of a cube, but it was eventually built as three 26 ft x 26 ft (8 m x 8 m) squares that were divided and rejoined to produce an original geometric form. The ground plan is a rectangle subdivided into squares.
The house is constructed on two levels. The first floor contains a den at the entrance, in the salient corner of the house. The northerly aspect required special treatment for this elevation to protect it from the harsh climate of the area.
The architect opted for highly toughened glass and designed the external staircase opposite to act as a shield. The library lies between the den and the living room and includes a small area designed for reading; unlike most rooms with large windows, this one gives on to the interior.
Right-hand page: The library lies between the den and the living room. In contrast with the other rooms of the house, which are surrounded by large windows, this area has no view to the outside.
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Detail of the glass and aluminum structure. The chrome chimney rises through an opening in the aluminum roof. |