BIG

La Maison des Fondateurs . Le Brassus

BIG

La Maison des Fondateurs will be located among of the historical complex of workshops and factories in Le Brassus in the heart of La Vallée de Joux. Its organization and architecture will embody the core values of Audemars Piguet.

It must be characterized by the independent spirit of the family owned company that has retained autonomy over the years making it a game changing innovator in a field governed by rules and tradtions. It must be rooted in the heritage of watchmaking in La Vallée de Joux that goes back centuries and is nested in the nature and culture of the place and the people of the valley. And finally it must incorporate the inner tension that characterizes Audemar Piguet and resonates throughout the brand, the craft and the designs as captured in the motto: To break the rules you must first master them. La Maison des Fondateurs is conceived as an oxymoron. Striking yet subtle. Contemporary yet timeless. Functional yet sculptural. Floating yet rooted. Local presence with a global resonance. A striking landmark that is seamlessly integrated in the local landscape. A contemporary yet timeless architecture that blends with the historical buildings to create an intuitive sequence of spaces – old and new. A pavilion for the art and science of watch making that is conceived as storyline for the visitors – every element governed by the functional requirements of the exhibition, while appearing as a striking sculpture conceived in a single gesture.

Partners-in-charge Bjarke Ingels, Thomas Christoffersen
Project Leader Daniel Sundlin
Project Architect Ji-Young Joon
Team Jason Wu, Otilia Pupezeanu, Natalie Kwee, Beat Schenk, Dammy Lee,
Blake Smith, Marie Lancon, Yaziel Juarbe, Julien Beauchamp-Roy, Kristian
Hindsberg, Pauline Lavie

YEAR 2014
TYPE Competition
CLIENT Audemars Piguet
COLLABORATORS
Hg Merz
Luchinger Und Meyer
Muller Illien
SIZE 2.373 m2
LOCATION Le Brassus, Switzerland