House on Lake Geneva

Montreux, Switzerland

A green paradise: When the glass fronts are retracted, they make room for something unique: park, lake, and living room merging into a single whole.

Photo © Albrecht Schnabel

The ceiling-high window fronts move as if weightless. To achieve this, they are placed on a support structure which is balanced by counterweights.

Photo © Albrecht Schnabel

Clever: When the HIRT kinetics® retractable fronts are lowered halfway, the resulting cap lends itself to use as a bar counter. Just the place to serve a cool drink in style.

Photo © Albrecht Schnabel

The room changes its dimensions and plays with the senses. Is it a living room or a covered terrace? The answer: It is both – according to your mood and the weather.

Photo © Albrecht Schnabel

A symphony of nature: The retractable fronts vanish seamlessly into the ground so that no threshold mars the sense of perfection. Air and light are free to enter.

Photo © Albrecht Schnabel

The evening unfolds its magic at the lake. With HIRT kinetics® retractable fronts, you stay flexible and decide according to the weather if you want the window fronts lowered or raised.

Photo © Albrecht Schnabel

Single Houses

Manufacturers: HIRT kinetics

Location: Montreux, Switzerland
Year: 2012
Implementation partner: Acomet SA

Where garden and living room unite – The parklike property right on the shore of Lake Geneva is a dream come true. The old plane trees are its defining feature. The newly built villa by architects Ueli Brauen and Doris Wälchli was integrated carefully on the western side of the ensemble, the building’s shell reduced to the bare necessities. Glass and light concrete are the predominant materials. The large windows provide a canvas for sensational reflexions. In this way, the building and its surrounding landscape, the trees, and the lake can interact anew, again and again.

The architectural concept shatters all conventions. The villa is entered via a bridge connecting the roof to the nearby street. The staircase is open and flooded with light. Descending to the ground floor, the gazes of the occupants and their guests follow ever new lines of sight as they enter the heart of the building. Here, the inside and outside form a wonderful symbiosis thanks to large, retractable panoramic windows. At the press of a button, the living room transforms into a covered terrace. As the living room now extends all the way to the lake shore, you can experience nature with all your senses.

With HIRT moving architecture®, architects and builders have no need for compromises. Glass fronts measuring more than 20 meter in length and weighing more than 7,000 kilograms are moved effortlessly and lowered into the ground as if they weighed nothing. Even corner windows and frameless borders are possible. At the same time, HIRT kinetics® retractable fronts conform with the highest building standards regarding thermal and sound insulation, water tightness, and safety – quality made in Switzerland.