Peter Zumthor completes Devon countryside villa "in the tradition of Andrea Palladio"
Swiss architect Peter Zumthor has completed his Secular Retreat ? a Living Architecture holiday home designed to celebrate the landscape like the villas of his hero, Andrea Palladio.
The house, which has been more than 10 years in the making, is Zumthor's first permanent building in the UK. It is located on a hilltop in South Devon, England, where it commands an impressive view of the surrounding countryside.
Zumthor designed the house to be built from concrete rammed by hand ? a technique that gives stripes to the walls, both inside and out.
The thickness of this material is revealed by the large, deep window openings, designed to take full advantage of the setting.
"I would like to say I'm building here in the tradition of Andreo Palladio," said Zumthor during a tour of the building. "I don't want to compare myself with this Renaissance architect, who has always been a favourite of mine, but what he did was build villas for the summertime."
Zumthor said his aim was to emulate "the incredible presence of materials, and the beautiful command of space, light and shadow" of Palladio's designs.
"I think it is beautiful if you can make a strong building that helps you, not which oppresses you," he said.
Secular Retreat is the seventh house built for Living Architecture, a property rental company set up by writer Alain de Botton to offer people the opportunity to rent a house designed by a renowned architect.
It was actually one of the ...
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