Inspired by wood carving tools – Block of Wood House, Italy

Italian and Austrian architectural practice, Bergmeisterwolf Architekten, have designed the Block of Wood project for Ulrich Perathoner Kg-Sas. Completed in 2011, the contemporary wooden home can be found in Pontives, Lajen, Italy.

According to the architects: “The estate can be found in exceptional location – roundabout Pontives, a  street leads to Gröden from Klausen and Bozen. This location was the obvious choice for the new construction of the woodcarving Perathoner. The new building points out the long tradition of Gröden’s craft industry and the use of wood. The corporate identity of wood carving should be expressed by the outside as well as inside: in this building valuable art objects are produced. The building should tempt  passersby to stop and arouse their interest.

“We were inspired by wood carving tools and enthused about their technical abilities. So the basic idea generated and the blueprint absorbed the wood carver’s passion. Starting from a raw wooden block this basic idea was further developed. The treating of wood, the emergence of cuts become the core topic. With the facets of the wood the desired movement in architecture is expressed. The building gets the impression of a living façade, the movement, the constantly new point of views, the change of colour of the wood become clearly visible. It is part of the ongoing changes during the artistic process of the craftsman. The façade also appears like that: a movement, a bend, a fold, a change. The building arouses curiosity because of the folds, dents, cuts and openings. It was a central aspect to create just one single façade at this traffic junction, to transform the four or five facades into one.

“The façade consists of a self-supporting folding system made of triangles. Within this system openings are created to give sufficient illumination. Nevertheless, a homogenous picture is created. The exterior or better the cladding of the building, the façade, was covered with shingles. This type of cover associates with the rough, unfinished surface of a wooden block. The irregular ageing of the shingles moreover strengthens the idea of an unfinished sculpture. The project becomes part of the craft industry, which is located inside – it turns into the worked wooden block. At night the light which shines through the openings and folds creates a unique picture. The light becomes part of the concept: the display of the valuables inside.”

Images courtesy of Günter Richard Wett and Ulrich Egger

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