You can ski down the zig-zagging roof of this new hotel in Switzerland
Bringing the concept of the ‘ski hotel’ to the next level, this upcoming boutique accommodation by Danish practice, Bjarke Ingels Group, will allow guests to ski down its zig-zagging roof, straight onto the slopes of the Vallée de Joux in western Switzerland.
Work is already underway for Hôtel des Horlogers, which BIG has designed for Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet. The hotel will complement the company’s upcoming nearby museum in the village of Le Brassus, which will have its own unique spiral roof, designed by the same architects to reflect the craftsmanship of Swiss watches.
Like the museum, the hotel’s roof will feature slopes down to the ground to connect the architecture with the sloping nature of the site.
Would anyone want to go back to their rooms with a roof like this? Image: Supplied
In a statement, the firm says the hotel will blur the line between accommodation and ski park.
“The terrain fluidly becomes the roof, inviting guests to descend on skis towards the slopes of Vallée de Joux,” it wrote.
“Five zig-zagging room slabs expand into a gently sloping exterior path, leading directly to the museum and local ski trails.”
Apart from the slopes, guests can also check out the restaurants, bar and spa at the hotel. Image: Supplied
The Danish National Maritime Museum in Helsingor, Denmark, features a series of bridges as its ‘roof’. Image: Supplied
Within the interior, the hotel’s harmonising design continues, with a sloping corridor connecting the 50 guest rooms on offer. The hotel will also have many major amenities, including two restaurants, a bar, a spa and a conference centre — all of which will be accessible to the hotel’s outer makeshift ski slopes.
Once built, the design will measure a total floorspace of 7,000 square metres.
Lego fans won’t want to miss climbing the walls of the Lego Visitor Centre at Billund, Denmark. Image: Supplied
In good hands, Bjarke Ingels and his firm, BIG, are no stranger when it comes to marrying function with whimsy.
Some of their previous completed projects including the subterranean Danish National Maritime Museum in the shape of a boat and a Lego visitor centre, shaped like a stack of building blocks. After all, there’s plenty of reasons why the firm has been previously described as ‘the most sought-after architect in the world’ by Vogue, and Hôtel des Horlogers may just be one of them.
This project is due to be completed in 2020 and will no doubt attract keen skiers and architecture- lovers alike from all over the globe.
