No more flooding for this boat-like house on Lake Maggiore’s shore
In the late 1960s, Martina Kuoni’s parents bought a small holiday home on the Swiss side of Lake Maggiore but, as she explains, the building sat right on the shore and, every now and then, it would become partially submerged.
When she decided to concede to the fluctuating water levels and build a new, elevated house out of the water’s reach, she knew just who to contact: her former schoolmate Conradin Clavuot, now an architect.
His gently probing questions about what mattered most to Martina led to a design that focused on the idea of home as a ‘vessel’, on board which you can feel the sun, wind and storms while knowing you are safe.
The house is mainly constructed from concrete and larch, with honey-toned wood cladding on the walls and ceilings to create a sleek, enveloping space. Firmly grounded on a concrete platform, it appears to float above the lake’s surface – an effect enhanced by its cabin-inspired interior, where custom-made furniture has been crafted to snugly fit the rooms.
French doors protected by wooden parapets and dressed with billowing curtains punctuate the façade, giving the home an airy, pavilion-like feel.
This means the living room opens almost completely on three sides, effectively becoming a sort of covered terrace. Now over 10 years old, the house has proven itself to be perfectly resistant to the lake’s ever-changing mood and the vagaries of the weather.
Martina makes the three-hour train journey from her home in Basel, where she runs the literary-walking-tour agency Literaturspur, to stay here at least once a month. For her, it is a safe harbour; a place to drop anchor.
