- An unusual building for an unusual artist - A unique symbiotic
relationship between aesthetics and functionality Usually, architects
and artists make unlikely bedfellows. Artists think they have some
inborn expertise on spatial structures, while architects credit
themselves with being artists by virtue of their genre. Therefore, it is
all the more surprising that the Japanese artist Leiko Ikemura and the
Swiss architect Philipp von Matt successfully teamed up to build a
residential and studio building. The result of their collaboration is
anything but a compromise. The building is a unique fusion of
traditional Japanese architecture and solid Swiss sturdiness. What looks
like a minimalist cube actually contains an unexpectedly complex space
that is astonishingly diverse and original. Barren walls and rough
concrete meet rooms and courtyards suffused with light. This publication
uses a wealth of texts, plans, models and architectural shots to give a
comprehensive overview of the entire building, showing how aesthetics
and functionality can enter into an extremely fertile symbiotic
relationship. Text in English and German.
