Liechti Graf Zumsteg

Description

Three building cubes whose articulation and geometry correspond with that of the surrounding district merge to create a double-headed figure. Its constriction in the middles creates a courtyard-like space allowing lateral views along the street. Planted with trees, the outdoor area interweaves with the building volumes and widens toward the intersection to create a plaza. The dark brown shimmering aluminium façade elements conspire to create a carefully proportioned, monochromatic relief. The supports and pilasters are congruent and mutually interdependent. They form a multi-dimensional envelope that makes the house seem both transparent and solid. After walking through the low main entrance, visitors enter a high-ceilinged banking hall. Daylight floods through a glass ceiling and makes the white marble floor glow. Panelled in elmwood, the room tapers upward, which reinforces its lofty effect. On the upper storeys, the offices and conference rooms flow around a courtyard as well as cores that mark off different zones and hold stairways and secondary rooms. White surfaces, walnut fittings and the surrounding dark brown façade dictate the look and feel of the interiors.