designboom · Creativity & design

Nine Architects Design Unique Cabins for Writers at Jan Michalski Foundation

The Jan Michalski Foundation in Switzerland has commissioned nine distinct cabins, designed by various architects, to serve as temporary homes and workspaces for writers and translators.

Located at the foot of the Jura Mountains, the Foundation hosts around forty residents annually, offering them an independent cabin, access to a library, and the surrounding landscape for residencies lasting two weeks to three months.

The cabins, situated beneath a large canopy, showcase diverse interpretations of living and working spaces, varying in form, material, and internal organization. Architects include atelier bonnet architectes, Jean-Gilles Décosterd, Andreas Fuhrimann Gabrielle Hächler Architekten, ELEMENTAL, Mangeat-Wahlen, Studio MK27, Rintala Eggertsson Architects, Schaub Zwicky Architekten, and Kengo Kuma & Associates.

Designs range from multi-level structures separating domestic functions from workspaces, to compact timber constructions, and even a communal cabin designed by ELEMENTAL for residents and staff to gather.

Some cabins incorporate literary references, like Morse code translations of Thoreau's Walden on exterior panels, while others prioritize accessibility or a 'box within a box' concept.

Materials like timber, steel, and glass are common, with each cabin integrating the surrounding landscape through windows and balconies.

The collection forms an 'experimental town' where residents have private spaces yet remain part of a wider cultural community, fostering interaction through shared facilities like a communal kitchen and dining area.

Kengo Kuma & Associates' cabin, completed between 2018-2019, was originally for a caretaker and accommodates dual or trio residencies, featuring an irregular, polygon-based form.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.