Atelier Trepp | Origlio, Switzerland | 2019

Architects: Mino Caggiula Architects
Lead Architect: Mino Caggiula
Client: Gloor AG
General Contractor: Promeng SA
Landscape Architects: Living Nature Landscape SA
Photographer: Paolo Volonté

The Trepp Atelier was developed for a person but also for a place. Building an artist’s atelier, first of all, means interpreting the place in terms of that artist’s work. Indeed, designing an atelier to mirror the thought and philosophy of an artist has long fascinated generations of artists and the architects charged with the task.

Located near Origlio, a village overlooking the lake of the same name, Alice Trepp’s studio is both a place of work and a home. Built to slot as naturally as possible into the contour lines forming the morphology of the site, the house enjoys splendid views over an unspoiled landscape against a backdrop of distant mountains. Placed mainly underground, it takes its cue from ancient Greek theaters that were molded to fit into the natural morphology of their context.

Built to be part of the landscape, the artist’s atelier/home is a shelter from which to contemplate the natural world under the changing light and draw inspiration. The project concept developed out of a study of the natural contours of the area.

Wedged into the two highest upward-curving contour lines, the building fits seamlessly into the sinuous lie of the land. The volume takes shape rising like leaves out of the ground to make the architecture appear a natural landscape feature.

An iconic touch has been added by pivoting the construction around a ‘cenote’ in acknowledgment of the artist’s Ecuadorian origins. Built around this core, the two stories intersect, creating a dynamic play of transparency and visual permeability. Interior and exterior spaces blend and re-form, constantly interacting with the light and the surrounding countryside.