axis mundi envisions its XYZ house as a cruciform cantilevered over the swiss alps

united states-based studio axis mundi reveals the first images of its XYZ house majestically overlooking the alps of switzerland. the composition of bold volumes finished in corten steel, recalls the image of a cruciform over the dramatic landscape context. the assemblage is organized along three mutually perpendicular planes — the three cartesian coordinates of X, Y, and Z — while the respective volume houses an entry tunnel-bridge, a tower which contains the vertical circulation including a staircase and elevator, and the main habitation space, suspended weightlessly above the valley below.

all images by catalin sandru

the switzerland-sited XYZ house by axis mundi is meaningfully stripped of all nostalgia from the material world. with the monumental dwelling, the design team seeks to recall the great german romantic artists — including painter caspar david friedrich and poet heinrich heine — who’s work emphasized the tension between the daily world and the irrational and supernatural projections of creative genius. the project is envisioned as a ruin from the future with a poetic power which lies in its supreme muteness, as a place to contemplate the horizon and eternity in silence.

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project info:

project title: XYZ house

architecture: axis mundi

location: wengen, switzerland

lead architect: john beckmann

total area: 4000 square feet

materials: steel and concrete structure, corten steel, glass

wood model: xiaolun chen

visualizations: catalin sandru