Blue Ice, the client for the project, is involved in the production of tourism and sports equipment and has chosen a mountain slope overlooking the peaks of the Mont Blanc as a location for one of its offices. Kengo Kuma & Associates' task was to fit a relatively small building (total area 2,500 m2) into a complex and highly dynamic landscape.
The problem is solved by two main methods. The wide roof of the building with its slope and intriguing break at one of the corners repeats the mountain silhouette and slope of the site. This shape is also quite practical, since it does not allow snow to linger on the surface. At the same time, the entire volume, including the roof itself, is sheathed with unedged oak board. Planks are not regularly arranged around the perimeter of the building, and behind them are rather large areas of glazing, reflecting local landscapes, and dark fragments of the walls. As a result, the building, as if hidden behind the trunks, becomes an integral part of this natural scenery. You can fully enjoy the theatrical views of the French Alps from a small viewing platform in the central part of the roof.
The feeling that you are among the trees is also maintained in the interior space, which is interpreted as a view terrace on a wooded slope. Part of the space will be occupied by the office of the client company, and part is intended for rent, including short-term rent. The spacious working volume of this peculiar coworking space is additionally illuminated through the ribbons of special skylights, which again are directed from south to north, supporting the relief of the slope. Oak is also widely used in the decoration of the interior, bathed in the bright mountain sun.
