Radical – the House with a Missing Column by Christian Kerez
Kreis 7 is traditionally Zurich’s most distinguished borough, something the real-estate prices confirm without much humour. On the south-facing hillside, Krönleinstrasse belongs to the addresses with the best views. At number 15 we stand before a construction of steel, concrete, and glass containing three condominiums. On three sides of the building brutal black steel structures—stelae—anchor the house.
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The 12.5-meter-long steel beams cantilevering horizontally from the stelae penetrate the interior spaces below the concrete platforms. On the front side, no steel structure assists with carrying the load — House with a Missing Column (working title). The ingenious structural concept, expressed as a highly abstracted steel framework, is the true sensation of the oeuvre. Entertainment for lovers of constructive architecture. Invisible to the viewer, the steel construction is thermally separated from the façade, another fascinating complex feature.
The unique load-bearing steel-structure is equally constitutive for the identity and allure of Kerez’s buildings, just as the inside-out construction is for the Centre Pompidou: cheerfully, the Parisian cultural center wears its colorful inner organs — structural frame, piping, escalator tubes — on the outside. With Kerez, the steel is black. Where would we end up otherwise? Kerez stays Kerez. Black, white, and shades thereof. The elegant tunnel leading to the garage further dramatises this exceptional hillside structure.
Equilibres by artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss + House with a Missing Column: related constructions.
What do I gain as a resident from this structural show-off?
An evident load-bearing structure is typical for architects. Once you internalise the enormous forces and movements at work to make such lightness and transparency possible, euphoric feelings arise. You are relieved, within the apartment, of columns, walls, stairs, building services—and of the heaviness of the ground and matter itself: you surrender to the immediacy of being in space and time. The apartment becomes a bird’s nest in the fork of a tree.
Concentration and transcendence
No exterior walls, frameless sliding glass façades, and views of the lake, the city, and the tree canopy. Sixteen square metres of balcony surface extend along the southwest-facing front façade. To the east lies the spacious loggia, directly connected to the bedroom and the exterior stairs. A central, lightweight structure clad in wood veneer and softened by rounded corners delineates the living and functional zones. Structure, built-ins, and materials such as the terrazzo flooring contribute to an overall mood that is at once concentrated and difficult to grasp. A spatial sensation arises that evokes transcendence—that more which escapes our consciousness.
Living in good architecture
The abstract steel structure rests on a recessed, irregularly shaped concrete base that houses the lower studio spaces and the underground garage. A tunnel-like driveway leads from the street into the large garage. From there, one takes the elevator directly into the apartment—or reaches it on foot via the exterior staircase.
The residents can modulate the daylight: with interior textile curtains and with exterior retractable sunshades that provide effective protection from heat. The floor slabs extending over the south-facing terraces provide additional protection from sun and weather. The beautiful bedroom, with three glass walls/curtains, faces northeast and, together with the adjoining bathroom, forms a comfortable en-suite area. Because of its location at the external staircase, this room has a separate entrance. To the east, another room adjoins the en-suite area, extending it as a dressing room or serving as a guest or children’s room depending on need.
On the lower floor, the apartment is complemented by a 27 m² independent studio. Connections for an additional bathroom or kitchenette are provided. Natural light enters through a large horizontal window strip that wraps around the corner.
Beyond its architectural significance, House with a Missing Column is a home for those who value the essential over the superficial and arbitrary. The reward is the daily pleasure found in the courageous conception and execution of this exceptional work of architecture.
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