Foster + Partners arranges Alpine gallery around three-storey car ramp
British studio Foster + Partners has designed a sinuous timber showroom to mimic the "contours of the landscape" in Gstaad, Switzerland.
Set to be nestled into a valley, Gstaad House will encompass three floors of gallery and auction space, along with a private members' club on its top floor and a subterranean level.
Foster + Partners designed the structure with a ramp that will wind up from its base to provide circulation between the programmes for both cars and pedestrians.
"The landmark building is nestled within a valley and responds to the unique contours of the landscape," the studio said.
"The architectural form reflects the undulating mountains and winding roads, with a gently sloping facade, flat roof, and an integrated ramp for cars and pedestrians that wraps around the building."
Topped with a rounded, flat roof, the building's exterior will be cloaked entirely in larch wood used to create rhythmic screens interspersed with glazing.
At each level, matching timber balustrades will enclose the ramp to create external terraces overlooking the surrounding valley.
"Our design generates a spectacular arrival experience, as the building comes into view from the road," senior partner at Foster + Partners Kirsten Scott said.
"Its distinctive facade is made from local larch and diffuses natural light into the spaces above ground, while providing panoramic views of the valley."
At ground level, an exhibition space designed to host a series of public events will include double-height glazing that can be opened up to the adjacent outdoor space. Renders of the space also reveal a raised level that will overlook the ground floor area.
The upper floors of Gstaad House are set to offer private gallery spaces where collections can be showcased in a "tailored and climate-controlled environment".
Above this, the top floor will contain a private members club, which will be flanked by a wraparound roof deck. A dining room and kitchen will also be held on the top floor for private events.
A 3,000-square-metre flexible space will be built in a subterranean level and will include "bespoke storage spaces" for the collections.
Elsewhere, the studio has completed a revamp of the Carrington Training Complex for Manchester United and designed a luxury retail complex designed to "breathe new life into Istanbul's waterfront".
The visualisations are courtesy of Foster + Partners.
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