Arp Foundation Museum in Locarno by Gigon/Guyer

You can see the sculptures of Dadaist Hans Arp in the collections of most museums around the world. This German-French artist found peace on the shores of Lake Lago Maggiore in the southern Swiss town of Locarno, where he spent the last years of his life with his second wife, Marguerite Hagenbach Arp. The foundation that manages the collections of this surrealist poet, painter, and sculptor built a new section adjacent to the original historic building. The authors of the intimate structure made of exposed concrete are Zurich architects Annette Gigon and Mike Guyer. The surrounding area is characterized by the small scale of houses surrounded by mature trees. The new building will serve the foundation as an art storage and exhibition space. The steep slope on the western edge of the property was the only possible location, which, however, was not ideal. The gravel substrate posed a risk of landslides, and the hot climate simultaneously placed high demands on creating adequate conditions for the placement of artifacts. The solution was a massive two-story structure with insulating concrete walls. The museum offers an exhibition area of just 86m² and a single window overlooking the original Arp house and the garden.

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