Editor's Note
This editor’s note highlights the key facts and market implications behind “Connecting Tradition and Modernity with Stone: K”, with emphasis on sourcing, product fit, fabrication, logistics, or buyer impact.
Japanese architectural master Kengo Kuma, known for skillfully incorporating natural materials into his designs, is often first associated with his stacked wooden structures. His mastery of wood is exceptional. However, starting with the Nasu Stone Museum in Tochigi, completed in 2000, Kuma embarked on a path of stone architecture. The V&A Dundee in Scotland and the Kadokawa Musashino Museum in Japan are among his classic works where stone slabs take center stage. In the village of Vals, eastern Switzerland, his latest creation, 'Haus Balma,' built with locally quarried stone, was unveiled last year.
Kengo Kuma crafted 'Haus Balma' in Switzerland using Vals quartzite. (Photo Credit: Paul Clemence)
The Swiss town of Vals, nestled in a valley, is renowned for its hot springs. A notable landmark is the 'Therme Vals' spa, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor in 1996, now renamed '7132 Hotel' after its local postal code. The hotel has been expanded with facilities and guest rooms designed by three architectural masters: Thom Mayne, Kengo Kuma, and Tadao Ando. Throughout the main building and its details, elements of Vals quartzite, produced by local stone supplier Truffer AG, are prominently featured.
Vals quartzite has been quarried locally for centuries. Viewed from above, the village of Vals presents a unique landscape with rooftops made of Vals quartzite slabs. This stone is prized for its distinct layering, fine texture, elegant feel, and excellent properties of compression resistance and frost tolerance, making it a common choice for roofing, facades, interior walls, and floors.
The rooftops of houses in the Swiss village of Vals are all constructed with Vals quartzite slabs. (Photo Credit: Truffer AG)
(Photo Credit: Paul Clemence)
Truffer AG, a stone company founded in 1983 specializing in processing quartzite slabs, decided over a decade ago to build a mixed-use commercial and residential building in the village of Vals. They aimed to use their pride—'stone'—as the core element to create 'Haus Balma,' a structure that would connect tradition and modernity while seamlessly blending into the surrounding traditional village landscape. Truffer AG then approached Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, renowned for his use of natural materials like wood, stone, and steel. From design to construction, the project took ten years, and 'Haus Balma' was completed in 2022.
(Photo Credit: Paul Clemence)
‘One of our design philosophies is to create harmony between architecture, nature, and the environment,’ said Yuki Ikeguchi, a partner at Kengo Kuma and Associates Paris (KKAA Paris).
She explained that before breaking ground, the design team thoroughly studies the local environment, history, and traditions, seeking core elements to connect these aspects and strike an appropriate balance.
Externally, 'Haus Balma' features a roof and eaves made of overlapping small stone slabs. The window areas are adorned with 822 stone slabs and 501 wooden boards strung together with steel wires, creating a floating visual effect. The heavy stone and light wood interweave, producing a facade that is both conflicting and harmonious, cleverly integrating into the surrounding natural and village environment.
(Photo Credit: Paul Clemence)
(Photo Credit: Paul Clemence)
(Photo Credit: Paul Clemence)
(Photo Credit: Paul Clemence)
(Photo Credit: Paul Clemence)
Inside, the lower floor serves as a reception and office area, the upper floor as a residence, and the basement houses a multifunctional space for exhibitions. Stone of various textures is visible throughout, allowing visitors to fully appreciate the diverse charm of Vals quartzite. A narrow staircase flanked by rough stone walls evokes the tunnel-like atmosphere of a quarry, a thoughtful touch that not only creates a unique experience but also echoes the region's long history of stone quarrying.
A corner of the residential area. (Photo Credit: Paul Clemence)
(Photo Credit: Paul Clemence)
(Photo Credit: Paul Clemence)
The narrow staircase resembling a quarry tunnel. (Photo Credit: Paul Clemence)
(Photo Credit: Paul Clemence)
Source: Read the original article | Published: August 25, 2023