Chalet B
Peak Experience
Chalet B is the complete transformation of a 1970s Swiss chalet within the constraints of its original footprint. A richly remodelled façade wraps around new volumes – including an underground spa and futuristic garage – that are invisible from outside.
It was a huge technical challenge hiding the garage entrance while complying with strict safety measures and the extreme Alpine climate.’
Making an Entrance
Making an Entrance
Custom designed and engineered in partnership with a German car elevator company, the disappearing entrance to the garage evokes a scene from a James Bond film – a section of the road approaching the chalet lifts to allow cars to enter, then closes invisibly behind them.
Transformed in Timber
We transformed the building with a playful approach to the façade, windows, and detailing.’
What lies beneath
What lies beneath
Located in the Suvretta mountains of the Swiss Alps, strict planning regulations limited our design to the existing chalet’s footprint. Instead of extending outwards, we extended downwards, and excavated new spaces from underneath the old walls. Above ground, we amplified views of the spectacular mountains with new expanses of glass. In place of the original plaster, a rich wooden façade lends the chalet a new identity.
An Alpine getaway
Rustic refinement
Rustic refinement
While the chalet echoes Alpine tradition with its tripartite structure of stone plinth, wooden walls and slate roof, the façade design is a new departure. Executed in local timber, it forms a composition of alternating horizontal and vertical lines that reflect the contours of the landscape.
This exquisite yet understated building is a contemporary take on local tradition.’
