landscape, with a steep, rocky cliff on one side and on the other the valley filled with fruit trees lying below Vaduz castle.
Location: Vaduz, Liechtenstein Year of construction: 7996 Architects: Baumschlager & Eberle Associates: Elmar Hasler, Nic Wob/weiid, D. l.
Plankel
Photography: Eduard Hueber
Biichel House stands alone and unconcerned in this outstanding countryside location. It rises proudly, changing the way the landscape is perceived. It was only after much debate between the architects and their clients that this unusual design was finally approved.
To make the most of the topography of the site and also to preserve the existing fruit trees, the designers opted for a compact, three-story structure rather than a horizontal development that would occupy a larger surface area and be detrimental to the existing vegetation.
The decision to use inverted staggering on the front elevation may appear to be the result of some trivial esthetic consideration, but in fact it is a masterly stroke, increasing the surface area of each floor but keeping the area of land actually built on to a minimum.
The design pays special attention to the functional requirements of the building and gives each part a specific type of elevation. Three of the elevations are constructed of exposed concrete but are given an extremely fine, almost delicate finish. The north side, subject to very cold temperatures and poor light, is completely enclosed. There are only two openings on this elevation: the garage door and a tall, narrow slit of a window that emphasizes the verticality of the structure. The west elevation is of freer design with openings that do not follow such a rigid arrangement.
The inward-looking nature of the first three elevations disappears completely on the south side that looks out over the valley. The house opens onto magnificent views framed by large, tall windows.
The house is conceived as an entity designed for a specific location: the impressive wall ol rock left by quarrying acts as a backdrop to the house, providing continuity of texture with the exposed concrete of the walls.