Private Chalet, Gstaad
Switzerland

As a private escape on the snowy slopes high above the valley, this chalet reinterprets vernacular traditions and regional craftsmanship in a respectful yet sophisticated manner. Solid washed walls in combination with locally sourced brushed pine wood and precious textiles set an atmosphere of humble elegance while relating strongly to the simple alpine history and context.

Aesop Neubaugasse, Vienna
Austria 

Inspired by the history of the Austrian capital - be it the legacy of famous minds, artists or scientists who made their home here at the beginning of the 20th century, molding the dawn of modernity.

Research in the city's archives revealed that the building's original late 19th-century facade, including a long-forgotten - now recovered large arch, had been built over several times.

The entrance is slightly offset from the street and its raised semi-circular window has fluted panes, allowing natural light to fall generously into the first of three interconnected retail spaces.
The three rooms stimulate thoughts, fantasies and reveries. The first room has a quiet grandeur thanks to its balanced proportions, high ceiling and a chandelier by Carlo Scarpa. It creates a sense of tranquility in contrast to the busy street, which is reinforced in the following two rooms.

The second room is a fascinating rotunda that hides Aesop's first Fragrance Library: the rotating niche invites to experience scents, reinforcing the feeling of an imaginary journey. In the third, narrow room, the mirrored walls and dark surfaces create a dreamy, warm atmosphere.

Images and text: Courtesy of Aesop 

Aesop Getreidegasse, Salzburg
Austria

Aesop Getreidegasse takes inspiration from Salzburg’s opulent Baroque architecture and rich connection to classical music. The store is situated within the fourteenth-century Gritzenbergerhaus on Getreidegasse, close to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birthplace.

The façade appears as a stage: shelves hover in the large windows in front of exuberant, ochre-coloured velvet curtains. Two artworks of dancers made from dried flowers and leaves, found at a local antiques market, grace the entrance. Once inside, oiled oak panels line the walls in a reinterpretation of local salons such as Café Tomaselli, established in 1703 and serving coffee to this day. A four-metre-long basin hewn from Nagelfluh, a local conglomerate stone associated with the Miocene age, plays in counterpoint with Salzburg’s geological base and holy-water fountains.

The second movement of the space is defined by a dramatic, pre-existing arched vault—brought to life by a dynamic up-lighting system. An expansive, solid oak counter emulates the three-legged form of ancient Cembalo instruments, on which Mozart composed great works. Another row of velvet curtains signal an intermezzo between front and back of house—the third sequence of the space is narrower and condensed with a desk, meeting space, and amenities.

Images and Text: Courtesy of Aesop

Condominium, Munich

Germany

28 multistory apartments facing a park with impeccable views in various directions enhanced by a slight shift in paln based on an orthogonal system. 4.5 meter high living-rooms are facing the park along the folded  bay window like facade. Every unit is composed around this central space, considered the heart of the apartment.

By transforming the classical Maisonette typology to a complex split-level system not only long stairways are avoided but also much more intriguing spaces result. Typologies of apartments vary within the system and reach from  70sqm standard to 200sqm corner units with open fireplaces.

Besides private outdoor spaces every unit benefits from natural light on a minimum of two opposite facades. Anemities such as an intensively vegetated rooftop providing two covered outdoor barbeque kitchens and a swimming pool above the city´s roofs set new standards to urban living.  

Data Science & AI Firm Headquarters,
Frankfurt am Main

ongoin project, Germany