ARCHITECTURE

Amorph Livingsculpture House / Lechner & Lechner Architects

DECEMBER 20, 2022

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In 2013, Lechner & Lechner Architects completed the “Amorph Livingsculpture” House. The basic idea of the project was to visually interweave the living space with its surroundings.

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Amorph Livingsculpture House Technical Information

• Architects: Lechner & Lechner Architects

• Location: Salzburg, Austria

• Topics: Single-Family House, Organic Architecture, White Architecture

• Area: 226 m2

• Project Year: 2013

• Photographs: © Julian Höck, © Horst Michael Lechner

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The ground floor spaces are intertwined with nature through their shape and the exterior design of the garden. They convey a homely feeling, almost like a hobbit cave. Visually, the own garden, the Leopoldkroner pond, and the Untersberg are the main visual reference points.

– Lechner & Lechner Architects

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Text by the Architects

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The basic idea of this project was to visually interweave the living space with its surroundings. In the first step, the most important points of view were identified via google earth. These visual landmarks in this project include the Leopoldkron Castle, the Leopoldskorner pond, the fortress Hohensalzburg, and the Untersberg. In the next step, a floor plan was chosen that maximizes these visual relationships. The free-form floor plan and the three-dimensional shape of the building allow this optimization of the lines of sight. The relatively thick, freely formed window soffits direct the gaze in a targeted manner. The window soffits and the free-formed ones make it possible to draw the eye only to the visual highlights and hide the rest.

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The result was two slender bodies offset from each other with a central opening. In the entrance situation on the ground floor, the space is narrowed by the structure of the ancillary facility and the main body. The slender structure on the ground floor opens a view of the garden with the associated water area and the sculptural staircase.

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The ground floor spaces are intertwined with nature through their shape and the exterior design of the garden. They convey a homely feeling, almost like a hobbit cave. Visually, the own garden, the Leopoldkroner pond, and the Untersberg are the main visual reference points.

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The reference to the outside space also plays a central role in the design of the first floor. The living area is connected to the outside space on both sides. This is made possible by two spacious terraces. A terrace faces the Leopoldskroner pond, fortress Hohensalzburg, and Schloss Leopoldskron. The other is oriented towards the private sphere. The living sculpture can be walked through in a circle over the two vertical openings inside and outside.

Constructively, this project relied on the timber frame construction method. For this purpose, wooden stands were cut to the right shape with the CNC milling machine and then planked with boards. The outer wall is generously insulated between the individual wooden studs. Polyurea was used for the facade coating. This material is used as a coating in rhinoceros tanks in zoos and was chosen for its rural nature.
 

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