Betonhaus PTR

Soglio - 2021

Description

The Bergell village of Soglio, known as the ancestral seat of one of the most powerful Grisons noble families, the Salis, lies on a green mountain terrace at almost 1,100 metres above sea level and about 400 metres above the valley floor.

In its proportions, the three-storey build- ing mirrors the standard construction style of the village’s existing residential properties. The façades of beige-grey scratched concrete represent a modern interpretation of the characteristic Bergell lime plaster. The vertical format of the windows is based on the region’s historical palazzi. The planned tower-like residential building develops from a basic form that includes two nested squares that respond to the surrounding garden walls.

Although the building is striking in its appearance, its clear floor plan and chosen materiality ensure it naturally blends into the context. The scratched concrete, with its stony surface structure, enters into an exciting dialogue with the garden walls and strengthens the spatial relationship. The carbonised wooden shutters give the building a special charm and are reminiscent of traditional stables with their sun-browned round-wood façades.