The ‘XYZ House’ Is a Geometric Marvel In the Swiss Alps
Jaw-dropping getaway.
You might need to recall some high school geometry to fully appreciate the XYZ House’s design by architect John Beckman. Rendered atop an idyllic location in the Swiss Alps, the corten steel-constructed cruciform is organized on three mutually perpendicular planes inspired by the Cartesian coordinates of X, Y and Z.
Those three planes are occupied by an entry tunnel/bridge, a tower that houses the “vertical circulations” (i.e. a staircase and elevator), and the suspended main living space, which features three different sized windows to view valley below.
Axis Mundi, the New York City-based design firm that first featured the 4,000-square-foot abode, writes that Beckman was also inspired by Romantic-Era German artists including painter Caspar David Friedrich and poet Heinrich Heine, both of whom emphasized the tension that exists between the practical world and creativity.
The XYZ house shares aesthetic similarities with this “House Inside a Rock” concept, which also features cruciform shapes. And the sky-high location brings to mind the “Cliff Concept Boutique Hotel” located in and around Western Norway’s famed 1,981-foot Preikestolen—or “the Pulpit Rock,” in English. Visit Axis Mundi’s website for more details.
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