Architect Christian Tonko recently completed an artist's studio in Bregenz, Austria that looks fittingly like a work of art itself. Designed to maximize natural daylight, the sculptural building climbs up the hillside at a sharp angle to take in generous amounts of southeastern daylight through tilted glazing. The 540-square-foot structure is clad in weathered steel panels and large glazed walls to evoke a semi-industrial character.
The studio’s glazed end walls provide bidirectional views: the southeast window looks up the grassy hillside, whereas the northwest window overlooks the town below. The client can adjust the amount of daylight in the studio by deploying exterior screens. A rectangular metal frame juts out of the northwest facade and provides a space for the client to hang his bronze sculptures.
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The building is split into two levels connected by a staircase. The lower level, which cantilevers over the slope, comprises the main workspace and is where the artist can complete his medium-sized canvases and sculptures. The smaller, upper level is a secondary workspace. The interior is a continuation of the facade’s semi-industrial aesthetic and is made mostly from raw concrete, raw steel, and untreated oak. The kinked shape of the studio was partially informed by site restrictions and the need to minimize site disturbance, but also derives inspiration from the ancient optical device, the camera lucida.
Via ArchDaily
Images via Christian Tonko
