On Tiptoes
Valtteri Osara (FI)
architect
Elina Alatalo (FI)
Jaakko Hauru (FI)
Outi Pirhonen (FI)
students
Europan 10 La-Chaux-de-Fonds
runner-up
This seemingly simple site presents a difficult area for housing and movement. The project proposes an adjustment band with minimum impact on the grassland of the natural hill, which is left flowing free, only gently touched by the building mass. An extension of the Esplanade structure, the new building is designed to highlight the hill and minimize the need for street construction. The clear definition of the space facing the forest to the east contributes to the general morphology of the city. The design reintroduces nature into everyday experience without the need for excessive new landscaping. Together with the new rooftop landscape, it generates an interaction that is more informal and individual. The new annex stands out as a landmark without compromising the site’s ability to express its identity.
This project is connected to the following themes
Shared spaces - A Frame for social life
The creation of a new hillside building provides a way to organise shared spaces in a close relation with the landscape.
Housing - Morphology
Overcoming the difficulties raised by the site and its layout, the project proposes an “adjustment strip”, a morphological experiment through which the slope can be inhabited in a powerful and assertive aesthetic.
Nature - Topography / ground
The topographical strip of buildings constitutes a grandiose project where the building becomes a viewpoint opening to the horizon, but with minimal its impact on the existing ground.