Cédric Schärer architect . photos: © Roland Halbe
The Cliff House in Neuchâtel has been owned by the same family since its construction in 1896. It has undergone a couple of alterations through the years including the addition of a wing -the ‘Stöckli’- and a garage. The house had been used by a single tenant up to now and has been reorganized in three autonomous units to meet the requirements of the latest generation. Instead of developing a housing typology with a central distribution, each new dwelling has its own independent entrance. The first one occupies the two original bottom floors, connected with a new helicoidal stair. It has a straightforward organization with the living space on the ground floor and the rooms on top. The unit above reuses the original staircase to climb up privately to the attic. Its layout has been reorganized and a terrace has been created, strictly aligned with the ornaments of the façade below. The third unit has the form of a pavilion sitting on top of the ‘Stöckli’. Taking advantage of the building rights, a complete usable story was added. It works as a reversed house, with the rooms below the living spaces. It provides a sweeping view of the Neuchâtel Lake and the Alps beyond. A terrace and pocket garden articulate the two structures.
While the house is not part of the cultural heritage list, it is carefully restored and insulated from the inside to respect its delicate details and proportions. Its original silhouette is revealed by the demolition of the heterogenous garage. The new pavilion does not try to mimic the existing language but cohabits calmly aside. It is built with a hybrid steel-wood structure, to exploit each material to its full potential and to obtain an extremely compact and light structure.
It strictly complies with the sustainability standard Minergie.
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