it's probably a complex of 3 blocks of flats, it should be in switzerland somewhere near bregenz...
have you triend googling it? great buildings online?

I tried googling it of course. But I think what you mentioned sounds familiar with the three blocks..I'm gonna go check it out. Thanks

Some ideas: I think that the 3 blocks of flat that you guys are talking about is the Spittelhof Estate near Basel. Pg 117 in THE BOOK - Peter Zumthor Works, Buildings and Projects 1979-1997
The description of the project mentions unclad concrete as a material but there is no mention of black concrete. The photos are black and white so it's difficult to discern if the walls are black timber or the black concrete you are looking for.

Another option could be the administration building of the Kunsthaus Bregenz. Bregenz is in Austria although very close to Switzerland and this is a gallery project not housing, so it might not be the one you have in your head. Anyhow, in Bregenz you have two buildings, one with glass cladding and another one made of concrete, black in colour. Being a Zumthor building it gives me the creeps to think that the concrete was painted black rather than being mixed to be black. So maybe this is the famous black concrete building you are looking for.

forget about google go to the library and check THE BOOK!

Thanks for the thorough description. I seem to recall this building wih grass around and it may have sat on a a hilly site. I remember lots of glass and it was a one story building. I keep looking.

i can't remember which side of the border it's on.
anyway, in both cases (the 3 block of flats or the admin/bar building of the kunsthaus in bregenz) they are two storey buildings.
the A&U is probably the best source for all his work...


the flats


the admin bldg in the forefront with the gallery at the back

go brad!

man, i'm so helpful...:)
back to my nurbs

hey that kunstahaus bregenz picture is mine!!! I gave it to Galinsky :-)

great stuff guys :)

that is one hell of a pic ludwig! i had no idea it was yours!
that place is great...
i've just noticed the way the reflection of the gallery in the window of the admin building actually matches the perspective of the gallery in the background...quality!

the spittelhof apartments, just south of basel are clad in a laminated wood, similar to plywood, and painted black. The visible concrete work are garden walls and stemwalls. it's not one of zumthor's better projects. but the interiors are light and have great views. also, the northeastern building has a wicked cantilever facing the parking lot.

but what a fantastic site for a project. biel-benken is gorgeous. living at spittelhof must be somewhat akin to living next door to heaven. when i was there a tenant told me a property company had purchased all the units and they were kicking out all the renters and selling the units to buyers only. he was sad to leave... also cats love the spittelhof and hang out all over it. perhaps they have a keener sense of arch than we do.

You should also check out the Thermal Baths at Vals, he uses concrete on the inside of the stone walls.

http://www.therme-vals.ch/?language=en

what the hell is he working on these days???

is the topography of terror dead???

are they going to second edition works???

so many zumthor questions....

berlin office - Heinle, Wischer und Partner is now doing the Topographie des Terrors.

silverlake -

the official word from lars mueller (the publisher of zumthor's works) is that the old man will not allow a second run to be produced. so, blame that one on peter himself.