Wooden landmark blends architecture and landscape

Aerial view of a modern wooden building amidst snow-covered landscape, with people walking on ice and nearby evergreen trees.
Aerial view. Images courtesy .ket bureau/v2comm

This lakeside wooden pavilion project in St. Moritz, Switzerland, aims not to dominate its surroundings but to merge with them.

Drawing inspiration from traditional Swiss and Engadin wooden architecture, the design translates historic principles into a contemporary language rooted in function, simplicity, and respect for place.

The complex is organized into four zones: parking, service and restaurant spaces, a spa, and a pier with conference and rooftop areas. They are designed to operate year-round.

A woman walks along a wooden pathway near a modern building, surrounded by snow-covered trees and a mountainous landscape.

Interior and exterior spaces flow seamlessly through generous glazing and fluid circulation, allowing light, landscape, and movement to define the experience.

Constructed primarily from locally sourced ash and larch, with concrete used sparingly for foundations, the project prioritizes sustainability through natural materials, passive ventilation, and daylighting.