Artist‘s house in Würenlos. Switzerland
The house of the internationally known artist Ugo Rondinone is surrounded on three sides by mixed woodland on the periphery of the small village Würenlos near Zurich. The enchanted land is confined north- and westward by the natural run of the village stream, the Furtenbach.
Only to the east, the near settlement is slightly visible. The detached house seems as if lying on a natural clearing in the forest and is accessible by the southward located Bachwiesenstrasse.
On the property itself, an old large oak tree and an elderly beekeepers cottage are situated by the stream. The house is positioned in a way that yet another house can be planned toward the east at a later date. The north facade with porch is oriented parallel to the stream and to the west, the house along with the natural curve of the stream and the near forest frame a pleasant outdoor space, the actual garden, which consists mainly of grassland. The two-story living room faces this space in which‘s center the oak stands.
From the road to the stream level there is a significant incline, so that the house had to be buried in the south-facing terrain, where cellars, technical rooms and sauna are situated.
The rectangular house sits on a slope, aligned with the short sides against road and stream, the long sides perpendicular to the slope, so that two spacious garden areas emerge. From the south and the street the house appears as a single-story pavilion. The considerable volume is perceptible only from the garden side.
The entire building is surrounded by terraces, two stairways connecting the two levels. To counter the flood hazard the terraces are projecting where the building is above ground.
This resulting hovering appearance lends the house its lightness, reminding of traditional Japanese wooden buildings. The Japanese appearance was consecutively searched for in the entire house. The desire to create covered terraces was complied with cantilevered canopies. The size of the projection is differentiated in each facade as necessary. The size of projection is greatest towards west and south, whereas to the north the volume with the incised porch is smallest on the ground floor. Through the set back and barely visible eaves gutter the Japanese style has been accomplished by the cantilevered corrugated Eternit roof.
The curved stairway leads to the eastern main entrance on the lower level. From the spacious entrance hall a further staircase leads to the upper floor, where there is a studio to the north and guest area to the south, which is directly accessible from outdoor. The two areas are connected by a generous with skylights illuminated photo gallery.
The ground floor is divided into three: the double-story living room, which is clearly aligned with a double- story window of the garden, is flanked on the north side by kitchen and library, on the south by bedroom, dressing room and bathroom, which has direct access to the garden.
In the living room is adorned by a copy of a "Georgian Style" New Yorker fireplace.
This is a functioning sculpture by Ugo Rondinone, who lives in New York most of the time. Also other built-ins are strongly influenced by Ugo Rondinone and oscillate between sculpture and furniture.
Materialization
The building was constructed with prefabricated wooden elements and covered with untreated raw materials - the facade with wooden cement boards (Duripanel), the roof with corrugated Eternit, internally white plaster treated with beeswax. The metal windows are custom-built, which allowed the narrow profiles, which lend the house the specific character, lying between traditional and industrial revolution.
All in all the house is a hybrid which mediates between all kinds of influences and poles:
between sculpture and house, between shed and stately property, between traditional Japanese country house and European Arts and Crafts style, between historical and industrial appearance and much more.
