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CENTRO GIACOMETTI 8. Semester Studio Project Stampa, Bergell, Switzerland 09.2010 - 12.2010 ETH Zurich Professor Luis Mateo
The architectural topography of the Bergell valley is largely a result of the surrounding geography. The site for this contemporary art museum slopes downwards, with spectacular views across the valley towards the Italian Alps. Stampa and the Bergell have long served as a meeting place between Germanic and Italian cultures; the building is open along this axis as a remembrance. Giacometti was greatly influenced by the landscape of his hometown, and referred to it often in his writings. He cites ragged boulders as a source of inspiration for the elongated bronze female figures for which he is so renowned. These statues in particular are meant to be viewed from a distance, as part of an overall experience of approach and renewed perception. A nod to this process, the building descends through the terrain with sectional relationships such that one must walk through
the structure to perceive its whole form. The materials are simple and monumental, commemorating the simple elements present in local construction.