This extraordinary project was commissioned by the owner of a large chalet, who wished to build a new chalet 100 metres up the mountain, link it internally to the existing one, and add a full size swimming pool, cinema, gym and leisure complex. Strict Swiss planning laws meant that nothing other than traditional Swiss chalets were permitted above ground, so I designed the new chalet to open out underneath into a vast underground set of rooms, passages and stairs linking the two buildings. The drawings show early scheme proposals – the actual finished buildings were considerably more extensive. The construction process involved literally removing a substantial part of the mountain, completing the construction, and then replacing and re-landscaping the area above. There are two teak armoires in the lounge area of the pool – one concealing a kitchen and the other containing hi-fi and video equipment.
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