The striking building perched in the natural landscape of Appenzellerland, with a view of St.Gallen, has had an eventful history: a schoolhouse for children at first, it later became full of the hustle and bustle of an embroidery workshop. Today, it is a home, which can also provide weekend getaways for tourists.
The over 150-year-old three-storey building has been carefully renovated, with new tile roofing, a new spruce shingle cladding on the façade, and new muntin bar windows. The stairwell was relocated with rearranged connections between the storeys in order to create a small guest apartment on the ground floor, with a separate entrance. The kitchens and bathrooms were thoroughly renovated, but the architect Christian Feldkircher put a lot of value in preserving the stories of decades and decades of use, and traces of history. As a result, new and old flooring fit harmoniously together: Trendpark and Unopark were used to complement the existing wooden floor, creating a charming atmosphere in the rooms.
"This project involved an exciting dialogue between the new and the old. And for us, it was important to juxtapose the two in a balanced way, through clear design language."
| Location | Rehetobel, Switzerland |
|---|---|
| Architect | firm Architekten, Speicher (CH) |
| Building owner | Private |
| Floor installer | Rolf Waldburger AG |
|---|---|
| Parquet | Trendpark & Unopark Oak |
| Photographer | Jürg Zimmermann |
