in january 2004, vitra launched its home collection, which includes design classics as well as
re-editions and products by contemporary designers. it was created in order to target individual
customers with an interest in design. as there was no interior space available for the presentation
of the home collection on the vitra campus in weil am rhein, between the border of switzerland
and germany, the company commissioned the basel-based architects herzog & de meuron in 2006
to design the 'vitrahaus'.

it has been 16 years since the last building - the vitra design museum - by architect frank gehry
was built on the vitra campus. now, on time and on budget, the 'vitrahaus' has opened,
becoming the newest addition to the site at weil am rhein.

'vitrahaus' by herzog & de meuron
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the concept of the 'vitrahaus' connects two themes which are occurring in the architectural practice
of herzog & de meuron: the theme of the archetypal house and that of stacked volumes.
the five-storey structure is comprised of 12 'houses' - five houses are set at the base in which
seven other houses are stacked upon one another. each of the structural volumes appear as if
they have been shaped by an extrusion press and are cantilevered up to 15 metres in some places.
the floor slabs intersect the underlying gables, resulting in a three-dimensional assemblage
or 'pile of houses'.


vitrahaus
architecture by herzog & de meuron
photographer iwan baan
image © vitra

the 'vitrahaus' has a daytime view of the surrounding landscape, while in the evening
the perspective is reversed. during the day, one gazes out of the house, and when darkness falls,
the 'vitrahaus' interior glows, the rooms open up and the physical structure of the house seems
to dissipate. the glazed gable ends turn into display cases that shine across the vitra campus
and the surrounding countryside.


the charcoal color of the exterior stucco unifies the building
image © designboom

the maximum dimensions of the structure are: 57 metres in length, 54 metres in width
and 21.3 metres in height, rising above the other buildings on the vitra campus.
the design intention was not to create a horizontal building, but a vertically oriented structure,
which provides an overview of the surrounding landscape and the vitra factory premises.




image © designboom


image © designboom


the vitrine - an exhibition space for the chair collection of the vitra design museum
image © designboom

the volume which houses the vitrine - an exhibition space for the chair collection of the
vitra design museum - does not have typical shape of a house. instead, herzog & de meuron
use the vitrine to express their 'mocking' response to the static building.
it appears as if it is being pushed down by the heavy load of houses from above.


vitrahaus
architecture by herzog & de meuron
photographer iwan baan
image © vitra


image © designboom



by day
image © designboom


by night
photographer leon chew
image © vitra


image © designboom


in some places the houses are cantilevered by up to 15 m
image © designboom


vitrahaus
architecture by herzog & de meuron
photographer iwan baan
image © vitra


image © designboom


image © designboom


image © designboom



image © designboom


image © designboom



the courtyard was one of the first things the architects thought about when they started the project.
like a small vertically layered city, the 'vitrahaus' functions as an entryway to the campus,
although not really an entrance as you are already in the building before entering it.

wooden plank floors made from the local larch wood, define the open area in which the
five base houses are grouped. these spaces function as: a conference area, an exhibition space
for the chair collection of the vitra design museum (the vitrine), along with a conglomerate
which contains the vitra design museum shop, lobby with a reception area, cloakroom
and café with an outdoor terrace for summer use.



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the vitra design museum shop
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the vitrine has exterior benches, made also in larchwood which span the length of its exterior
image © designboom


the 'entrance' into the building
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part of the design was that water pipes run out of the plaster rather than along the building
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english translation: 'the vitra house is dedicated erika fehlbaum' mother of rolf fehlbaum, chairman of vitra's board of directors
image © designboom


a worm's eye view of the stacked volumes intersecting one another
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vitrahaus model
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vitrahaus model
image © designboom



vitrahaus model
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jacques herzog discusses the concept behind the 'vitrahaus'
video by designboom


architects pierre de meuron & jacques herzog
portrait © designboom