16 Jun 2014
BIG wins contest to design bespoke watch museum in Switzerland
BY Katie Buckley
Danish architectural practice, Bjarke Ingles Group (BIG) has won a contest to expand the world famous head quarters of luxury watch maker Audemars Piguet in Vallée de Joux, Switzerland, to include a new design museum.
The 2,373 sq m (7,785 sq ft) pavillion will be built to match the story-telling purpose of the structure, which aims to open as a museum dedicated to Audemars Piguet’s history.
Seeing off fierce competition from top international firms - including Snohetta and Richter Dahl Rocha - BIG’s winning intertwined spiral design aims to bridge the gap between architecture and watchmaking as the design is influenced by that of a watch.
Audemars Piguet was founded in 1875 and has been fashioning luxury timepieces ever since. Based in Switzerland –the watchmaking capital of the world – the brand wants to expand it’s historic headquarters to include a design museum. In a statement, Bjarke Ingles (BIG) commented that the project would be a “pavilion for the art and science of watchmaking that is conceived as storyline for the visitors – every element governed by the functional requirements of the exhibition, while appearing as a striking sculpture conceived in a single gesture.”
By marrying the two disciplines of watch crafting and architecture, the enticing spiral structure appears to be the perfect place to showcase extraordinary craftsmanship and keep the company's legacy alive and accessible to the public.
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