Das Gelbe Haus( The Yellow House, Flims, Switzerland )

by Valerio Olgiati

*Previous Condition

* unoccipied for 20 yearsbefore its renovation

* Rudolf Olgiati , father ofValeri Olgiati donated thehouse to municipality beforehis death.

* his require was renovatingthe building according to theprinciples of his ownarchitecture

* the facades were to bedefined as “brutal”

* the building to be paintedwhite from top to bottom

* municipality decided totransform the building into amuseum

* the conditions were carriedout by his son Valerio Olgiatiin a most radical way as aninstable white cube at the verycenter of the community

01 CONTEXT

*The Yellow House An empthy shell of no historical significance

* was designed as a master builder’s housein the center of Flims,Switzerland

* builded in the second half of the 19thcentury

* surrounded by recently renovated buildings, new buildings in a discrete traditional style

*The Yellow House An empthy shell of no historical significance

* the previous plan of the building was dividedinto small sections so was not suitable for an exhibition space.

* the building was completely gutted to createa total space

* the interior was rebuilt in solid wood

* the windows reduced in size, resemblesmall, black, deep holes , all look the same

* the entryway and the gable of the on thestreet side facade have dissappeared

02 TYPOLOGY

03 STRUCTURE• structure is cored out to the bearing exteriorwall

• such geometric inner structurecharacterized by an element of chance: theconnection of the cross beams and alsoposition of the supporting wood pillar is freelychosen

* The bright white surface invests the childlikearchaism and sensual materiality of thestructure with the character of an abstractthought, which in turn lends the building its‘apparitional’ appearance.

04 MATERIALITY

* the rough stone was reworked with thehammer to give the walls a sculptural archaictexture.

* the stripped, ruin like house was thenrepainted with chalk whiting.

* The roof was removed and replaced withrandomly shaped stone slabs.

* Windows were fitted with new concretereveals cast in situ.