At first glance, ANTOINE looks like a large rock left in an alpine landscape. Then an opening gives it away. Inside the rough-looking shell is a compact wooden room: an architectural surprise that works through the contrast between its outside and inside.
A constructed boulder, not a hollowed natural rock
The 2014 project is associated with BUREAU A, the practice of Léopold Banchini and Daniel Zamarbide. Its name refers to Antoine, a character in Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz’s Derborence. Dylan Perrenoud’s photographs document the exterior and the carefully fitted interior.
The distinction between an artificial rock-shaped structure and a natural boulder matters. The project is a designed object that borrows a landscape form. Its appearance is part of the idea, rather than evidence that somebody excavated a room from a found rock.
The interior changes the mood
Photo: dylanperrenoud
Warm-looking timber, a small table and fitted seating create a different visual language inside. The limited space encourages attention to ordinary objects: a panel, an opening or the edge of a bench becomes a major part of the room.
The creators’ archive film, Heart of Stone, provides another way to encounter the project. Neither the photographs nor an old film should be taken as a current booking offer or confirmation of public access.
For another small Swiss building with an unusual relationship to its material, explore Refugi Lieptgas. For the wider visual appeal of shelter in snow, browse five winter-house photographs.
Antoine’s literary name explains the rock disguise
The cabin’s name refers to the central character of Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz’s Derborence, a shepherd associated with surviving beneath rocks after a landslide. That literary connection makes the artificial boulder more than a camouflage trick: the form and the name belong to the same idea.
Leopold Banchini and Daniel Zamarbide’s Bureau A project was described as a one-person shelter for an artist-residency programme. Its fold-down furniture, table, bed and fireplace turn a small interior into a usable set of spaces. The photographs credited to Dylan Perrenoud reveal that transformation from exterior object to occupied room. They should be read as documentation of a designed structure, not as proof that a natural rock happened to contain a fully equipped cabin.
Sources, photography and further reading
Original feature and image attributions:
- Bureau A
- Verbier 3 Foundation
- LifeBuzz
- The Top 15 Ski Resorts in Switzerland
- Breathtaking Sphinx Observatory at Swiss Alps
- See That Tiny Place In The Mountains? It’s Awesome But You Probably Don’t Want To Go There.
- Amazing Landscapes and All Year Round Activities at Oeschinen Lake, Switzerland
- Dylan Perrenoud
- Refugi Lieptgas
- five winter-house photographs
He is a well-respected businessman/leader in the community and has received many awards for various competitions in his field. His son Franco continues to follow in his footsteps. In keeping up with business ethics and determination. Franco strives for excellence, perfection and quality.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteWhen people of the KPK (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) want to treat a very special guest, usually the answer is a rich and tender lamb leg roasted in Peshawari style, served with salad, long grain rice and sauce.
ReplyDeleteLol it really resembles a rock in a snow mountain!
ReplyDeleteThis trek is filled with adventure and natural beauty, taking you through the heart of the Himalayan landscapes. Along the Rupin Pass Trek trail, you'll encounter stunning waterfalls and lush green valleys.
ReplyDelete