Rigiblick Housing
concave / convex, inside / outside
The bay-like topography generates the staggered position of the four buildings on the slope.
The superimposition of convex and concave geometry - glass fronts and horizontal terraces - creates a sculptural tension with different, deep shadows. They give the houses the desired lightness on the lake side.
above / below
This development is characterized by two opposing worlds: The unobstructed view of Lake Zug towards the Rigi via continuous sun terraces on the one hand and an underground access system with “intermediate stations” that provide access to the four houses on the other. Natural and infrastructural landscapes meet and are mutually dependent.
The “broken” façades connect the interior and exterior worlds. This relationship can be changed and individually controlled with the floor-to-ceiling sliding shutters, which also act as sun protection.
On the mountain side, a robust concrete ridge with the wedge-shaped staircase braces itself against the steeply rising slope and the two-track SBB railway line above.
Public “in the mountain”
The garage is accessed via a concave forecourt with an arrow-shaped entrance as a spacious entrance hall with access to the apartments and shared facilities. On floor 1 above the garage is the lounge with the golden-painted soffit of the pool above and the outdoor terrace in front, cut sharply into the slope. On level 2 there is a small pool with a long horizontal window overlooking the lake. A golden staircase connects the garage with the two floors.
Polychromy: guidance system
Like the arms of an octopus, the four corridors lead from the two mezzanine floors to the houses, guided by an ingenious graphic visual guidance system from “Chalet 5”. Icons in four different colors and geometries guide the residents to the shared facilities and the apartments. The ventilation pipes are deliberately left visible and remind you that you are “in the mountain”.
As vertical spaces, the stairwells form generous pre-zones to the apartment entrances. They are staged as three-dimensional images in the style of concrete painting (Paul Lohse, Max Bill) with different perceptions depending on the location. The colour scheme “works” against the vertical space, denaturalizing it.
Reflections and three-dimensional images
Room-high mirrors isolate the horizontal window in the pool and expand and dynamize the narrow space of the bathroom laterally with the red-painted wedge, similar to the garage.
Ecology
The energy requirements of the development are largely covered by renewable energies. Decentralized heat pumps with geothermal probes provide the heat required. Flat solar collectors on the uppermost roof surfaces provide energy to heat water for the apartments and communal areas.
