스위스 마을 가파른 경사지형에 위치해 있던 기존 주택을 개조하여 호텔로 탈바꿈하였다.
자연석으로 만들어진 높은 옹벽이 있던 이 곳은 자연석을 건축자재로 선택하여 새로운 정체성을 부과하였고 돌담과 계단식 정원으로 그 개성을 공고히 하였다.
Variously sized openings scattered across the traditional stone and plaster facades of this house in the Swiss town of Ascona provide views of the garden and Lake Maggiore.
Wespi de Meuron Romeo Architetti, which is based on the opposite shore on the lake, was tasked with updating an existing house situated close to the centre of the town.
The property is situated on an elevated site overlooking the rooftops of the historic town centre, and is surrounded by lush Mediterranean gardens featuring palm trees and other native plants.
The existing house did not make any concession to the local architecture, where high retaining walls made from natural stone are essential due to the steeply sloping topography.
The new building features a simplified cubic form, with all the surfaces rendered in a mixture of stone and plaster that echoes the local vernacular and the existing walls enclosing the gardens.
"The project responds to the location and to the terraced garden with its stone walls," said the studio, which has previously completed a home for one of its directors featuring a monolithic concrete form punctured by similar deep, square windows.
"The choice of using natural stone with traditional plaster gives the house a new identity and integrates it naturally into the garden and the neighbourhood."
The only interruptions to the rustic surfaces are made by the cast-concrete floor plates and exposed lintels, as well as openings that are punched through the facades.
The elevation facing the street is dotted with numerous small holes that bring light into some of the more private spaces.
A pair of larger openings frame views of the town from the main living area and from a loggia outside the main entrance.
from dezeen