Directly brutalist and natural, the house of architect Andrés Liesch (1927-1990) sits in what appears like an epicentre for Swiss modernism. A few neighbouring little streets, Doldertal, Bergstrasse and Wolfbachtobelweg, in Zurich have come to outline the nation’s Twentieth-century structure trajectory by means of a sequence of buildings. First, seminal structure historian and critic Sigfried Giedion commissioned Marcel Breuer to construct a pair of small house buildings on Doldertal in 1936.
After the struggle, architect and ETH Zurich professor Alfred Roth constructed his personal home only some metres away, on Wolfbachtobelweg. His colleagues, Flora Steiger-Crawford and Rudolf Steiger, adopted swimsuit with their very own home in 1959, on Doldertal. This group of necessary modernist works was accomplished through the early Seventies by the little-known Liesch, who contributed the cascading, uncooked concrete type of an house constructing on close by Bergstrasse. Accomplished in 1972, it options his personal three-floor house on the prime.
(Picture credit score: Adam Štěch)
Discover architect Andrés Liesch’s modernist dwelling
‘Andrés Liesch was among the best architects working within the Graubünden canton from the late Nineteen Fifties to the Nineteen Eighties. He was very a lot considering concrete structure, which was typical within the context of the Swiss structure discourse of that point. However he was additionally touched by an exhibition on Frank Lloyd Wright, which opened at Kunsthaus in Zurich in 1952,’ says Swiss structure historian Daniel Walser, who has researched the work of Liesch extensively and has written one of many few current educational papers on his work.
The affect of ‘Wrightian’ natural structure performed an important function within the growth of Swiss modernism after the struggle. Not solely Liesch, however an entire technology of architects, similar to Peppo Brivio and Tita Carloni, was fascinated by the extra nature-inspired sensibility of the American modernist grasp. Most of them labored within the mountainous panorama of Switzerland, which created an ideal background for extra contextual form-finding – albeit distinctly totally different to Wright’s American Prairie setting.
(Picture credit score: Adam Štěch)
‘My stepfather was a robust, humorous, and life-loving particular person. He labored with nice ardour and received many architectural competitions,’ says his stepdaughter Seraina Feuerstein, who works as an artist and lives within the architect’s home in the present day. Liesch grew up in Chur, Graubünden, and studied at ETH in Zurich between 1948 and 1952 below the steerage of Hans Hofmann. He opened his personal workplace in Chur and Zurich in 1956. ‘Hoffmann was an emblem of contemporary structure in Switzerland, and a few younger college students needed to interrupt out from the Swiss custom of rationalism and minimalism and embrace new visions,’ says Walser.
Wright and his natural take have been a superb various for Liesch, who labored over his prolific profession primarily on public infrastructure tasks, together with a number of faculties. He designed 38 faculties for this canton solely. It was a time when Switzerland underwent important redevelopment, and Liesch noticed potential in it and targeting public competitions. ‘He had a need to develop the Graubünden canton for the brand new, fashionable society. He needed to be native, but in addition showcase to the world his nation’s vernacular context and open the area to worldwide views,’ says Daniel.
(Picture credit score: Adam Štěch)
In most of his work, Liesch blended Wright’s affect with the geometric formalism and austerity of Le Corbusier and Swiss brutalism. Drama, expressive kinds and bare concrete got here collectively to supply volumes that captivated. That is additionally the case along with his personal home.
Though he constructed loads in Chur and round that area of the Swiss countryside, he ultimately determined to cool down in a extra city context. His spouse, Madelaine Demarlmels, was an artist, and collectively they determined to construct their very own home in Zurich. The ensuing terraced house constructing, accomplished in 1971, comprises three massive housing models. Liesch picked the final three flooring for himself and created a spacious house for his circle of relatives there.
(Picture credit score: Adam Štěch)
The structure is predicated on hexagonal shapes, which Liesch had used prior to now, for example, in a residential fee, Dr Hofmann Home in Uitikon in 1963. In his own residence, he orchestrated an excellent greater diploma of geometric complexity. ‘Liesch was considering a sculptural inside and exterior house and the utilisation of current spatial relationships.
The inside impresses with its seeming simplicity of use and spatial association, but it’s geometrically extremely subtle, and this extends from the general typological idea to the smallest element,’ describes Walser. The flowing, semi-open sequence of dwelling areas, which is in flip spatially divided by means of intelligent partitioning into eating space, lounge with hearth, and research, is influenced by Wright’s Prairie and Usonian Homes. He additionally developed the ground plans inside a practical and adaptable, hexagonal honeycomb kind.
(Picture credit score: Adam Štěch)
‘Because the dying of my mom in 2017, the home has been inhabited by my household, and I work in her studio,’ says Feuerstein. ‘My stepfather’s credo was “to know the spirit of the instances with out betraying the genius loci.” Sadly, he died far too early on the age of solely 62, leaving a big hole in our household,’ she concludes. Her works in wealthy, deep inexperienced hues complement the house fantastically and distinction with the tough concrete background, fittingly bringing a contemporary, Twenty first-century spirit into this Swiss modernist gem.
Supply: Wallpaper
