Bjarke Ingels' firm BIG has released plans for a new zigzag-shaped hotel in Switzerland, which is seamlessly integrated into the smooth topography of the scenic Vallée de Joux. The 6,400-square-metre complex is already unconstruction on site for watchmaker Audemars Piguet's Hôtel des Horlogers, where the Audemars Piguet Museum is adjacent to. 

Called Audemars Piguet Hotel des Horlogers, the complex will include hotel rooms, two restaurants, a bar, a spa and a conference centre that are tucked under the inclined slabs and oriented towards light and views to become individual destinations along the exterior path.

"The studio expands five zigzagging room slabs into gently sloping exterior path, leading directly to the museum and local ski trails. On the exterior, the building creates a continues sloping corridor, connecting the rooms, facilitating visitor and service circulation," said BIG in its project statement.

"From the main access road, the hotel's tilting slabs frame views of the surrounding Vallée de Joux, establishing a concretion between the village and the pastoral landscape." 

Envisioned as "an evolution on the hotel typology", in the is united form, the community and public sphere become instantly engaged. The terrain fluidly becomes the roof, inviting guests to descend on skis towards the slopes of Vallée de Joux.

"Connected by the Watchmaker's Path, reminiscent of the historical journeys from the Vallée de Joux to Geneva, Audemars Piguet's zig-zag hotel and spiralling Musee Atelier complete the Audermars Campus to create a new Le Brassus experience in Switzerland," said BIG in a project description.

BIG will wok on this project with local firm CCHE, and if everything goes on a plan, it is scheduled to open to the public in 2020. 

Project facts

Partners-in-charge: Bjarke Ingels, Thomas Christoffersen, Daniel Sundlin, Beat Schenk
Project manager: Simon Scheller
Project architect: Matthew Oravec, Pantea Tehrani (interiors), Manon Otto (landscape)
Team: Aaron Mark, Amro Abdelsalam, Aurelie Frolet, Casey Tucker, Catalina Rivera, Claire Thomas, Claire Wadey, Deborah Campbell, Ethan Duffey, Eva Maria Mikkelsen, Evan Wiskup, Francesca Portesine, Gaurav Janey, Haochen Yu, Ibrahim Salman, Il Hwan Kim, Jan Leenknegt, Jason Wu, Ji-Young Yoon, Josiah Poland, Ku Hun Chung, Malcolm Rondell Galang, Martynas Norvila, Matthew Oravec, Melissa Jones, Nicolas Gustin, Nicolas Lapierre, Otilia Pupezeanu, Pascal Loschetter, Pierre Goete Teodor Javanaud Emden, Rasmus Streboel, Rune Hansen, Seth Byrum, Shidi Fu, Sijia Zhou, Stephanie Choi, Supakrit Wongviboonsin, Terrence Chew, Tracy Sodder, Xinyu Wang.
Client: Audemars Piguet
Collaborators: CCHE Architecture, Ingphi SA, Pierre Chuard Ingenieurs-Conseils SA, Sorane SA, Duchein SA, MAB-Ingineurs SA, Ignis Salutem, EcoAcoustique SA, Alterego Concept SA, Jean Pitteloud, Thorens et associes SA

All images courtesy of BIG

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