Verbier Granges

Verbier Granges is situated far up in the mountains surrounding Verbier in Switzerland, only accessible by foot and all-terrain vehicles. It consists of a pair of centuries old barns fully renovated on the inside, connected by an underground art gallery and living space. The aim of the project is to create an extremely secluded retreat, and at the same time offer high quality living spaces and secure storage for valuable works of art. This unique combination of remoteness, comfort and art creates a place where contemplation and philosophical wellness is in focus.

The existing barns are taken apart completely, and rebuilt with the same material, but repaired where needed. This leaves the exterior unchanged, while the interior is upgraded to meet more contemporary standards of living, including plumbing, electricity and heating. The underground gallery is created by excavating a large trench between the barns, and casting retaining walls and floor in reinforced concrete. Local stones from the mountain side are mixed into the concrete as aggregate, and as the floors are polished the stones become exposed. This gives the concrete a strong connection to the surrounding landscape through colour and texture.

A large steel roof is then fixed on top of the four submerged concrete walls, and grass is planted on top of the roof, to merge it with the landscape. The only visible part of the underground gallery is a strip of windows that go around the whole perimeter, allowing diffuse daylight to flood the space below. Read less