Valerio Olgiati, Rottenburg am Neckar, Germany, 1991
OfHouses guest curated by Jeff Kaplon (Subtilitas): The
idea of traditions (pt 2) Similar to Baum’s
residence, Olgiati’s Kucher house highlights a similar strained dialog with the
adjacent 19th century homes of Rottenburg am Neckar. A series of traditional
elements including tall exaggerated dormers, repetitive juliet balconies, and a
steep gabled roof harken the formalism of the residential archetype. However,
the house is at conflict with the overabundance of referential tropes; the
facade at the base literally bulging if filled to capacity. The complex
construction required to resolve the intersection of these seemingly basic
elements necessitated prefabrication in order to have a degree of precision of
less than 3mm over the span of the entire house. (Photos: © Archive Olgiati. Recent photo: © Werk, Bauen + Wohnen 1-2 (2015). Photo Source: ‘Valerio Olgiati’ 2G 37 (2006) ; Hochparterre 4 (1991), 105.)
