Gipfelrestaurant - Mountain station
Herzog & de Meuron‘s Chäserrugg Gipfelrestaurant sits high on the top of switzerland’s chäserrugg mountain. The humble wooden structure is situated within a ski resort in the toggenburg region amongst a unspoiled landscape, at an altitude of approximately 2260 metres. Because of the venue’s function as a restaurant and meeting place, the owners wanted to furnish the chalet-style establishment with a stackable wooden chair that blended well with the timber construction, as well as being easy to stack and store away when they weren’t needed.
Designing with respect for the location is not easy especially in the high mountains.
The Herzog & de Meuron team, lead by senior partner Christine Binswanger, answered with Konstantin Grcic‘s ‘B chair’ by BD Barcelona Design. The simplicity and utilitarian function of Grcic’s seating piece, made from a combination of industrial and manual processes, suits the interior well. the ‘B chair’ is wooden with pieces of aluminum in its structure; and its legs are X-shaped that accommodate a foldable seat that allows for horizontal stacking, exactly what the architects were looking for to complete the project.
Project: Mountain station Chaeserrugg
Architects/Designers: Herzog deMeuron, Michele Rondelli Consulting
Place: Chäserrugg, St.Gallen, Switzerland
ARTISTS
Konstantin Grcic
The work of Konstantin Grcic is characterised by careful research and pared-down results—a minimalist style informed by simplicity.