Working for the Boss: Hugo Boss by Matteo Thun
Architect Matteo Thun completes Hugo Boss’s strategic-business offices in Coldrerio, Switzerland.
Sheila Kim-Jamet -- Interior Design, 4/30/2007 9:24:00 AM
Switzerland is fast becoming a center for clothing companies due to its strategic position between the European fashion capitals. So when Hugo Boss decided to consolidate its strategic business and creative units under one roof, they elected to build a new construction in Coldrerio, southern Switzerland, which also wasn’t too far from its financial base in Germany. The fashion house then turned to award-winning architect Matteo Thun (also an Interior Design Hall of Fame member) to create clean and sleek offices befitting of the label’s elegant, yet minimalist, line.
In a mostly hilly and tree-filled landscape, the massive 156,000-square-foot, tri-level structure commands a certain presence, but without seeming out of place. This was mainly achieved by the building’s wooden basket-like shell on the exterior.
“The shell is an abstract depiction of woven apparel,” says Thun. “I was looking for soft visual impact, trying to avoid harsh materials like glass and steel on the facade.” The architect used larch-wood planks, also because the wood is considered local having been used in the construction of existing 600-year-old farmhouses in the nearby Alps. But, like in all other projects by Thun, the wooden shell isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s a green concept too. Larch wood, the architect explains, is a species that protects itself over the course of time, therefore requiring no chemical sealants. In 20 years, the wood’s self-protective coat will turn a beautiful silver hue. Secondly, the wooden layer helps conserve energy use by regulating the amount of sun that reaches the inner, glass box construction of the building—the result is an HVAC-less interior that is neither too warm nor cold, and not too dry or humid. “Low-energy is our concept of ‘eco-tecture.’”
The inner layer, as mentioned previously, is glass, but between the two skins are walkways on the upper two levels that span the entire building’s perimeter. The architect mentions that these are for conversing and smoking and, he jests, “kissing.” Twelve access points in total lead to the walkways, and these balconies, in turn, give access to some spectacular views of hillsides and formal gardens in the distance. “Fashion people are so stressed and concentrated, they need outdoor breaks,” he adds, pointing out that on the ground level as well, there’s a substantial terrace attached to the building’s own restaurant/cafeteria, with indoor-outdoor seating for about 150 staff and guests. For this recreational area, the architect supplied custom furniture derived from a previous collection of his, realized in the same larch wood as the building’s shell in order to create a complementary and warm feel.
For the interiors, Thun strove to continue the serene atmosphere of the outdoors. He included such elements as an open work plan, skylights for 50 percent of the roof, and one large void at the center to act as a triple-height atrium to achieve this. For the materials palette, he once again used larch wood for the reception desk and the desk’s back wall, as well as for floors on the upper two levels, and dark-gray concrete for the ground-level floor to regulate temperature. While the client selected their own workstation and modular office furniture from USM, the architect rounded out the mix with some mid-century modern classics such as Saarinen tables and Eames chairs. The only semi-enclosed spaces are two private offices and a few conference/meeting rooms, all of which utilize glass and wood screening so as to not hinder any views of outside from any point within the building. “This way there is no hierarchy wherever one sits,” says Thun. “The layout is constantly changing and adapting,” much like fashion trends themselves.
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