Pascal Flammer

Architecture of fice with two stairs

Pascal Flammer . + lecture

The building has four floors, each with a specific function, space and relationship with the surrounding park. At first sight the building might seem simple, a ‘Maison Domino’ of floors and columns. But in reality the building is complex.

The structure provides three principal types of spatial relations with its surroundings; on the ground floor, since the columns are in the middle of the façade, the resulting space feels strongly connected to the landscape. On the first floor the columns are in the corner, producing a more defined and centered space. The top floor is divided into four niches, each framing a specific view. All floors are linked by a ‘double stair’, which forms the core of the building and provides the possibility of moving through the office conventionally, or if necessary, unseen. This device allows the sequence of spaces usually created by stacking floors to be broken down. Each floor is now connected to another, and depending on which opening is used, it is possible to move directly from one floor to another avoiding the intermediate. All columns in the façades have the same dimension irrespective of their structural requirements - making the structural forces difficult to read. In contrast, the roof architrave, which could be seen as a classical allusion, is simply a result of the largest structural ‘moment’.

Open source building. The architect is looking for anyone willing to make it real, free of charges from his side in case the client respects the plans.

Location: Zürich or Indian Desert
Function: office
Date: 2000
Materials: concrete, glass