009 WOHNEN IM SCHÖNBERGPARK
BERN, SWITZERLAND
Open competition 2005, 2nd prize

Client: City of Bern Switzerland. Area 2000 m2. Project team: Jean-Frédéric Luscher, Sacha Marchal, Béla Berec (Modelist), Christine Jahn, Cristoph Weber.

Building in the park of a mansion: a challenge
As the landowner, the City of Berne cares of developing this extraordinary site just outside of the city centre, by realising two buildings for high standing apartments in the park of the villa Schönberg. The open competition was very successful with more than 128 submittals by competitors. Awarded with the 2nd prize, this project is a contemporary response, which questions the position of parcelling out an historical park and gives a specific definition of the housing shape in direct relation with the nature of its location.

Dialoguing with the trees
The building shape is designed in order to preserve the root system of the centenary trees.Two soft curved volumes will be covered by sliding vertical wood panels. Their cuts recall the design of tree barks. As cover-up and solar protection, they will create an unexpected shadow and light game, constantly renewed.

12 high standing apartments: a new way of living
The apartment project consists in two main areas, with a proportion of 60% and 40% for each one, which relate to the living and the functional parts in a flexible mode. A classical layout is displayed with a circulation and services at the back, and rooms on the front part. The other option is a loft with a large space that can be freely subdivided. Built-in storage units will be directly accessed from the primary zone. Backspaces at the wooden panels will smoothly transform into terraces.










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