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    Nicemakers renovates Swiss chalet interiors with mid-century modern furniture

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    In the village of Adelboden in Switzerland, Amsterdam-based Nicemakers has transformed the interiors of The Brecon, a hundred-year-old chalet, into a secluded retreat.

    The intention for the 18-room chalet, called The Brecon, was for it to be “like a high-end version of your own home,” Nicemakers head of design Lottie Lorenzetti told Dezeen. The studio wanted the hotel rooms to feel like guest rooms in someone’s home.
    Rooms at The Brecon have been styled to feel like guests are staying in “a home away from home””We set out from the very beginning with the intention of not creating another clean, minimal, Swiss hotel aesthetic,” Lorenzetti added.
    The client, hotel operator Grant Maunder, wanted to create “a hideaway which feels like a dream home”.
    Across the common spaces, 18 rooms and four suites of the boutique hotel, Nicemakers worked with Maunder to fulfil the brief by creating a series of intimate and characterful interiors with a domestic feel.

    On entry through a bespoke wooden revolving door, the open-plan lounge space progresses into dining and living areas, featuring a sofa tucked away in a secluded nook.
    A two-seater sofa is tucked in a dimly lit nook off the main living areaThe interiors throughout are decorated with wooden panelling and integrated bookshelves, free-standing lamps and mismatched mid-century modern furniture.
    Mantel pieces and coffee tables display a collection of objects, candles and incense holders, statement one-off ashtrays and magazines that were chosen to add to the domestic feel.
    Nicemakers worked with Amsterdam’s Bisou Gallery to select relevant and personal artworks for the walls of The Brecon.
    Coffee tables are filled with homely items like boardgames, candles and matchesTimber, stone, leather and wool, in an earthy palette chosen to complement the hotel’s mountain surroundings, have been used throughout the interior scheme.
    On the ground floor, Nicemaker placed a few casual breakfast tables by an open kitchen to evoke the sense of being a guest in someone’s spacious home.
    The spa, which has a sauna, steam and treatment rooms, and the infinity pool on the terrace looking down the valley to the Engstligen waterfalls, were finished at the scale of a generous private residence, the studio said.
    A crazy-paving entrance space leads through to the open kitchenThe unusual concept for the retreat – in a small town with several more traditional hotels – was executed with a mid-century modern design approach.
    The resulting interiors contrast with the traditional chalet style found in Switzerland.
    Other unusual design details include the repeated use of crazy paving indoors; in the elevators and entranceway, on bedroom balconies and around the pool area.
    Unusual paving has been used around the hotel interiors and exteriors”The crazy paving was a hugely labour-intensive design element – it took a long time to lay and needed a skilled person who came from Wales to do this,” Lorenzetti said.
    Continuing the family affair, all the ceramic crockery was handmade in Wales by Andréa Anderson, who is married to the client Grant Maunder.
    The rooms do not feature mini bar fridges, but rather a variety of cabinetsOriginally Nicemakers had plans for bespoke mini bar cabinets, bedside tables and the same armchairs in each room.
    However, the studio concluded this would have gone against the hotel’s domestic concept.
    “You wouldn’t have a mini bar fridge in your own guest room at home,” explained Lorenzetti.

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    This decision meant that – instead of using the same suite of bespoke elements throughout the hotel – individual items could be sourced and curated for each room.
    “[This] gave the rooms a much more collected, rather than manufactured, feel”, Lorenzetti said.
    An original fireplace was preserved in the new spa areaNicemakers’ design was also informed by some of the original elements from the 1950s and ’60s heyday of the building, which was originally built in 1914.
    Textured plaster, the original red mosaic tiles in the stairwell and the mottled glass all draw from the history of the site. A pre-existing fireplace in the spa was also preserved.
    Vintage and new items were sourced from all over Europe, especially vintage markets in Italy, the UK, the Netherlands and France.
    The palette of the scheme was chosen to reflect the natural surroundingsThe mix of patterns and details was intentional.
    “[We wanted] to imitate a collected mix of items, to steer away from the classic minimal and clean, expected, Swiss aesthetic”, Lorenzetti concluded.
    Other projects in Switzerland recently featured in Dezeen include a 1960s chalet in Zinal renovated by Giona Bierens de Haan Architectures and an extension to a school in Aeschi by Haller Gut Architekten.
    The photography is by Michael Sinclair.

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      Christian de Portzamparc wraps Dior flagship store with “resin shells” in Geneva

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      Six interweaving “petals” encase the facade of Dior’s store in Geneva, Switzerland, which has been designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winner Christian de Portzamparc.

      The Dior store’s expressive facade elements echo those of its Seoul flagship store – also designed by French architect De Portzamparc – that similarly draws on fabrics used for Dior’s creations.
      Six interweaving “petals” wrap around the store’s facade”Between these veils, the glass walls let the sun’s rays penetrate in a captivating interplay of light and shade, a poetic dialogue between the inside and outside,” Dior said.
      “At night, the lighting appears to filter – through the elegant resin shells – transforming the building into a majestic urban lantern.”
      Display cases line the facade at street level. Photo by Serge de PortzamparcThe facade elements rise up from the building’s base widening at their centres before tapering towards the building’s roof.

      Behind them, floor to ceiling openings wrap around the building – revealing the building’s six floors and providing views into the interiors. Additionally, a series of display cases decorate the facade at street level.

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      Inside, the spaces were finished with neutral-toned surfaces and wood panelling, which is set off by the colours and patterns of Dior’s spring-summer 2024 collection.
      Built in display cases fitted with sleek shelves and glass cabinets line the interior spaces and are illuminated by gallery-style lighting fixtures.
      Plush seating decorates the boutique’s interior and is coupled with consoles made by Berlin-based Stefan Leo Atelier and tables by Anglo-Brazilian designer Hamrei.
      Neutral-toned surfaces and wood panelling feature on the interior”The rooms combine airy dimensions with the intimacy of hushed cocoons and reveal artisanal finishes,” said the brand.
      “Adorned in touches of ivory and gold, with hints of white and blue enhanced by the naturalness of the wood.”
      Floor to ceiling openings wrap around the buildingDe Portzamparc was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1994 and became the first French architect to receive the prestigious architecture award.
      Other recently completed flagship stores include a marble “immersive experience” for APL’s flagship store in New York City and Huawei’s store in Shanghai with a “petal-like” facade.
      Other fashion brand stores that have recently opened include a “sensual” boutique in Milan designed by Vincent Van Duysen for fashion house Ferragamo and a boutique decorated with hand-painted murals by Cúpla for fashion brand Rixo in central London.
      The photography is by Jonathan Taylor unless otherwise stated.

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      Sella Concept adds “classic theatrical flair” to Locke am Platz hotel

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      London design studio Sella Concept has designed interiors to balance modern and classical elements for the latest Locke hotel in Zurich, Switzerland.

      Called Locke am Platz, the hotel in Zurich’s Enge neighbourhood is surrounded by parks and botanical gardens, with Lake Zurich nearby.
      Sella Concept co-founder Tatjana Von Stein aimed to reflect the area’s cultural identity through her design, which draws upon Swiss Riviera aesthetics combined with modernism.
      Sella Concept completed the interiors for Locke am Platz in Zurich”Zurich has so many layers, an old school elegance mixed with brutalist modernist architecture,” Von Stein told Dezeen.
      “Everything pointed towards a very layered concept, juxtaposing modernism with a classic theatrical flair.”

      Each studio apartment has its own living areaSet across six floors, Locke am Platz contains 80 units, including 40 hotel-style rooms for shorter stays as well as studio apartments, each with their own living area and kitchenette alongside a bedroom and en-suite.
      With warm red and yellow tones, strong patterns and rich upholstery, apartment interiors have been curated to resemble a series of boudoirs – the traditional term for a woman’s bedroom or interior space.
      Red bedspreads match velvet-lined decorative curtainsRed velvet bedspreads were paired with matching decorative curtains that frame the bed.
      “It is important to create a little sense of drama, moments of subtility to moments of indulgence,” Von Stein said.
      Kitchenettes are fitted with red cabinetsKitchenettes were designed with contrasting red cabinets and petrol-blue marble backs.
      Wooden shelves are decorated with books, sculptures and ornaments, while parquet wooden flooring is arranged in a mosaic-like pattern.
      Staircase walls are clad with stainless steel panelsDownstairs, the reception area continues the juxtaposing material palette with deep orange velvet drapes and carpets alongside stainless steel, wood and high gloss finishes. According to the designer, materials were chosen as part of a careful “balance between hard and soft”.
      “We clad the existing staircase walls in stainless steel in contrast to its warm terracotta-coloured carpet, traditional statues and marble plinths,” Von Stein described.
      Bespoke furniture designed by Sella Concept and manufactured by Parla features throughoutShared social spaces include a lounge, bar, restaurant and private dining area. Velvet-lined curtains wrap around the lounge area, which sits on a raised, carpeted platform overlooking the wider common area.
      “When planning the spaces on the ground floor, I introduced various apertures between the spaces, a typical modernist character trait,” said Von Stein.
      “My aim is always to create a sense of intimacy while still being connected.”
      A wood-panelled bar is paired with green velvet stoolsA central bar connects the lounge and restaurant spaces.
      Taking cues from the modernist era, the front of the bar was decorated with geometric wood panels and topped with a marble surface. It was paired with stools upholstered with green velvet.
      Yellow and green finishes by Yarn Collective appear in the hotel restaurantChoupette, the main hotel restaurant, echoes the wider interior scheme and includes yellow curtains and green velvet-skirted banquettes by London textile company Yarn Collective.
      The restaurant and lounge areas incorporate bespoke furniture designed by Sella Concept and manufactured by Parla.
      “Designing bespoke furniture makes it so unique to the project, allowing us to work perfectly into our space, and for our materials and forms to reflect the narrative set,” Von Stein explained.

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      Connected to the restaurant, a separate private dining area was adorned with a classical mural on the ceiling by decorative painter Magdalena Julia Gordon.
      “We commissioned Magda to create the ceiling mural to bring this dark room to life through artistry and a little touch of humour,” said Von Stein.
      A mural by Magdalena Julia Gordon adorns the ceiling of the private dining roomSince its first location opened in 2016, Locke has expanded to include 15 sites across the UK and mainland Europe.
      Other projects by Sella Concept recently featured on Dezeen include office interiors for a tech company in New York and the London headquarters for fashion brand Sister Jane.
      Photography is courtesy of Locke and Sella Concept.

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      Ductus coats blocky apartment complex with red plaster in Switzerland

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      Architecture studio Ductus has designed an apartment complex coated with a monochrome red plaster facade into a sloping site in Schwarzenburg, Switzerland.

      Located on the outskirts of the village of Schwarzenburg in eastern Switzerland, the complex was designed by Ductus to have the appearance of a series of intersecting blocks of various heights that protrude and recede throughout the design.
      The red plaster-covered block was has a blocky appearanceAccommodating 16 apartments, the complex comprises two buildings sat perpendicular to one another that are connected by a shared garden.
      Balconies constructed from pressure-impregnated white fir and green columns contrast with the red plaster facade and overlook the garden and neighbouring buildings.
      Adjoining balconies are constructed from pressure-impregnated white fir, which contrast with the red facadeFlat roofs lined with untreated copper top the apartment complex, which distinguishing it from the surrounding more traditional pitched-roof buildings.

      On the exterior, untreated copper was also used for downpipes, while red-toned window frames and mechanical shutters match the plaster’s colour.

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      Within the apartments, textured white walls were set off by wooden flooring, while stylish bathrooms were characterised by red-toned fittings and decorative tiles to match the facade.
      Bright living spaces are lit by floor-to-ceiling doors that also provide access to the adjacent balconies.
      The complex contains 16 apartments split across two buildings”All 17 apartments were designed as condominiums,” Ductus partner Marcel Hauert told Dezeen.
      “The client’s desire was for all buyers to determine the interior finishes themselves. We provided a basic concept that could be adapted virtually without restrictions.”
      Red-toned fittings and tiles feature in the bathroomDuctus is an architecture studio operating between Sweden and Switzerland.
      Elsewhere in Switzerland, BE Architektur recently used intersecting sculptural blocks to form a barn-like house and Enrico Sassi has transformed a wood store into a micro home.
      The photography is by Rasmus Norlander.

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      Japanese patchwork technique informs interior of Sando burger bar in Geneva

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      Sapid Studio aimed to keep as much of the original fit-out as possible during this renovation project, which saw the Swiss design firm turn one burger restaurant in Geneva, Switzerland, into the home of another.

      The new burger joint, named Sando after the Japanese word for sandwich, is located near the waterfront in Rive Gauche and serves burgers infused with Japanese flavours such as teriyaki tamago and miso bacon.
      Sapid Studio designed the interiors of the Sando burger joint in GenevaSince the space was originally designed for a similar establishment, Sapid Studio made no changes to the layout.
      Instead, founders Cecile-Diama Samb and Michael Piderit took a retrofit-first approach inspired by the Japanese craft of boro, which involves repeatedly mending and stitching together textiles to create a multi-layered patchwork.
      The studio retained the existing tiled flooring and the barIn this spirit, the studio retained the interior’s original bar – simply re-finishing it in brushed and corrugated stainless steel – and patched up the existing tiled flooring.

      The millwork of the previous restaurant was dismantled and repurposed to form wainscoting and a table-height counter running along the window front, designed to resemble those found in Japanese ramen shops.
      The original millwork was repurposed into window counters and wall panels”All efforts were made to make the most impactful change to the space while minimising the amount of wasted material,” Sapid Studio co-founders Cecile-Diama Samb and Michael Piderit told Dezeen.
      “It is the re-working of an existing element, stitched together with surgical demolition, alterations and additions, that creates the unique patchwork that is Sando.”

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      Most literally, the boro technique is reflected in the tapestries that hang in rows from the walls and ceilings, made from reclaimed textiles by local upcycling workshop Lundi Piscine.
      Stitched onto a translucent open-weave tarlatan backing, these feature fragments of bright yellow letters that spell out Sando in both English and Japanese.
      Translucent tapestries by Lundi Piscine decorate the walls and ceilingsBirchwood is featured liberally throughout the interior and was finished in three different stains for contrast, as seen in the bar stools that line up along the steel-clad counter to form a subtle gradient.
      The two lighter stains were also used to create a colour-block effect across the wall panelling and the window counter. Here, diners can sit on aluminium stools by Danish brand Frama that were chosen to match the brushed metal counter.
      Recycled plastic stools provide more seating in the backAnother seating area at the back of the space sees simple off-white metal tables paired with speckled stools made from recycled plastic by Normann Copenhagen.
      Apart from the tapestries, the only other wall decoration is provided by several bespoke prints from Swiss illustrator Kristell Silva Tancun, depicting classic Japanese art motifs remixed with burgers, fries and fast food items.
      The restaurant serves burgers infused with Japanese flavoursOther well-designed burger joints include PNY Citadium in Paris, which has a sunset-hued interior informed by the roadside diners of America’s West Coast, and Noma’s burger spinoff POPL in Copenhagen.
      The photography is by Alicia Dubuis.

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      Space Copenhagen pays homage to historic features in Mammertsberg renovation

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      A sculptural spiral staircase, floor-to-ceiling windows and panelled walls have been paired with contemporary furnishings in Space Copenhagen’s renovation of a restaurant and hotel in Switzerland.

      Called Mammertsberg, the combined hotel and restaurant is housed within a 1911 villa that overlooks the Alps mountain range in Freidorf, Switzerland.
      Top: a spiral staircase takes centre stage in Mammertsberg. Above: Space Copenhagen has renovated the Swiss hotel and restaurantDanish design studio Space Copenhagen focused on the restaurant and lounge, which were totally refurbished to transform the interior from its previous status as a Swiss-food restaurant.
      Meanwhile, the adjacent six hotel guest rooms were given a light refresh.
      Contemporary furniture was added to the lounge”We embraced the idea of keeping key historic, listed, and structural features, defining for the building and its architectural heritage,” Space Copenhagen told Dezeen.

      “For the transformation towards something new, it felt important to add a diverse mix of furniture, lighting, materials, art and books, all of which could have been collected slowly over time,” the studio added.
      Linen curtains frame the large windowsDue to the building’s historic status, Space Copenhagen faced certain refurbishment restrictions, which resulted in the studio adapting its design around existing features within the property.
      These included a large central staircase by architect Tilla Theus that connects the restaurant on the ground floor to the bar and lounge on the first floor.
      Natural materials were used throughout the interiorIn the 42-seat fine-dining restaurant, which serves up locally sourced dishes, the studio embraced the high ceilings and large windows by adding floor-to-ceiling curtains in tactile, heavy linen.
      “The building overlooks the impressive landscape and alpine scenery that characterises Switzerland and this inspired our design choices and approach,” said Space Copenhagen.
      “It felt natural to treat the house as a large country home from which to enjoy the surrounding nature; offering guests the opportunity to contemplate and recharge.”
      The restaurant has a walnut and linen colour paletteThe surrounding nature was referenced in the material and colour choices, with solid oak tables in varying shapes and sizes dotted throughout the restaurant and lounge.
      Elsewhere in the Mammertsberg restaurant, Scandinavian chairs were upholstered in subdued colour tones such as walnut and light linen, while petrol blue leather was added for contrast.

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      “We wanted to create a warm and inviting scene to balance the vibrant dishes while simultaneously seeking a high level of detailing, quality, and refinement in the curation of materials and furniture pieces,” explained Space Copenhagen.
      “We worked with a new approach to solve the layout for the restaurant. Being a small restaurant allowed us to create a sense of familiarity with a variety of different tables – round, square and longer styles – all with different configurations and possibilities.”
      Six guest rooms were given a light refreshThe project also involved updating Mammertsberg’s guest rooms. Each of the six rooms was individually decorated to feel like someone’s private residence, with sculptural lighting and soft furniture to encourage rest and relaxation.
      According to the designers, the limited time frame meant that finer details such as adding new finishes were prioritised over a larger overhaul.
      Each hotel suite is individually furnished”We couldn’t change the polished stone floors in certain public areas such as the restrooms, bathrooms and guestrooms,” Space Copenhagen said.
      “We solved this by applying a different finish which honed them as much as possible towards a more matt and subdued hue, settling into the overall colour and material palette.”
      Space Copenhagen was established in Denmark in 2005 and is best known for its restaurant interior design projects.
      Among them is the Blueness restaurant in Antwerp, which is decorated with bespoke furnishings and Le Pristine, a restaurant that the company renovated with a moody aesthetic.
      The photography is by Joachim Wichmann.

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      TS-H_01 by Tom Strala is a pared-back family home on a Swiss hillside

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      Architect Tom Strala has completed TS-H_01, a minimal family home just outside of Bern, Switzerland that includes separate living quarters for parents and children.TS-H_01 perches on a grassy slope in the municipality of Kirchdorf and is occupied by a couple with two daughters and a son.
      Local architect Tom Strala has designed the house to offer a “contemporary form of cohabitation” where parents and children can easily live side by side.

      “I always aim to create a tailor-made suit for my clients,” Strala told Dezeen.

      “My approach is to first understand how my clients live, what their inner dynamic is and what’s important to them on a daily basis,” he continued. “With that knowledge, we together developed a concept that naturally became pragmatic-poetic.”

      The architect also wanted TS-H_01 to emulate the easy-going internal layout of his own home in Werkbundsiedlung Neubühl, a housing complex in Zurich that was built by a collective of Swiss architects between 1930-32.
      “Spaces in Werkbundsiedlung Neubühl are not big but they are shaped in such a way that you never feel limited; it was built 90 years ago and I tried to translate this quality into our time.”

      The children’s sleeping quarters have been allocated to the home’s lower-ground floor.
      Strala specifically wanted to contradict the arrangement of a typical family home, which he thinks are too-often organised in a way where “youngsters are either protected, guarded or spied on by their parents”.

      Each bedroom has two doors, one that grants access to the garden and another that leads to the children’s private lounge area.
      “Whether a ‘good child’ or a pubescent teenager, the child decides day after day for itself how strong a connection it wants to form with its family, its siblings or the outside world,” explained Strala.

      Family members can unite on the ground floor of TS-H_01, which accommodates the communal living spaces. This includes a sizeable sitting room fronted by sliding glazed panels that open onto an outdoor terrace.

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      At the centre of the adjacent kitchen is a chunky white prep counter, while down the side of the room is a sequence of full-height storage cupboards with circular timber-edged handles.
      Two of the cupboards can be pushed back to reveal a hidden doorway to the home’s indoor garage.

      The parents have complete free rein over the attic, which is where their bedroom suite is located.
      “It’s similar to a single loft space,” said Strala. “Even if you are a caring father or mother, you remain a human being with a life of your own.”

      The interior has been minimally finished throughout with raw plaster walls and pale timber floorboards.
      Splashes of colour are offered in the bathroom facilities, where glazed, midnight-blue tiles clad the shower cubicle and window ledge.

      Other pared-back properties in Switzerland include Haus Meister by HDPF, which boasts bare concrete surfaces, and Montebar Villa by JM Architecture, which is exclusively covered in dark grey tiles to resemble “a stone in the landscape”.

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      Think Architecture completes Zurich home with lake and vineyard views

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      Swiss practice Think Architecture has created House at a Vineyard, which includes a veranda and sunken courtyard that have vistas across the waters of Lake Zurich.The house is situated in a wildflower-filled meadow that lies beyond a small vineyard near Lake Zurich.
      It was created by Think Architecture for a young family of four who, after showing the practice a few inspirational images from Pinterest, said their key request was that their home was modern and had a simple, symmetrical layout.

      “Though symmetrical villas have long dominated architectural history, in recent decades they have tended to appear only as neoclassical imitations,” said the practice.

      “House at a Vineyard aims to prove that this specific spatial arrangement still has its place and can be translated into a contemporary design.”

      The house comprises a stacked pair of rectilinear volumes, both of which are punctuated with tall recessed windows that offer views of the surrounding landscape.
      A three-metre-wide veranda runs the entire length of the lower volume of the house that boasts herringbone-pattern decked flooring.

      At its centre is a small, sunken courtyard centred by a single tree, which the practice has specifically placed to fall in line with the sequence of reception rooms indoors.
      Cushioned seating runs around the perimeter of the courtyard, allowing the family to relax there during the warm summer months while overlooking the waters of the lake.

      To complement the exterior of the house, which is rendered with pale, off-white plaster, surfaces of the internal living spaces have been washed with lime. Herringbone oak flooring also runs throughout, mirroring the decking on the veranda.

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      Think Architecture worked alongside Atelier Zurich to develop the aesthetic of the home’s interiors, which have been finished with a few standout decorative elements.

      In the kitchen, the breakfast island is topped with a slab of murky-green marble, while the dining room has a long blood-red table surrounded by cane-back chairs.
      This room is flanked by staircases that lead to the first floor, where blue-grey joinery and wall panelling has been introduced. Several contemporary artworks have also been mounted on the walls.

      Think Architecture was established in 2008 and is co-led by Ralph Brogle and Marco Zbinden.
      This isn’t the only residential project that the practice has completed in its home city of Zurich – last year it created House in a Park, which comprises a series of stone and plaster-lined volumes.
      Photography is by Simone Bossi.

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