Morphosis Architects reveal designs for Europe’s tallest tower – a luxury hotel in Switzerland
by Katie Buckley | 26 Mar 2015
If built, the hotel will be taller than London's Shard / Morphosis Architects
Plans have been unveiled by US-based Morphosis Architects for a luxury hotel next to Pritzker Prize-winner Peter Zumthor’s famous Therme Vals Spa, Switzerland.
The directors of 7132 Ltd, Remo Stoffel and Pius Truffer are behind the scheme. Stoffel trumped a rival bid from Zumthor to buy the Therme Vals spa hotel from the municipality back in 2012, and he and Truffer are now keen to expand their presence in the municipality. For the new flagship project, they have brought on board top architects such as Tadao Ando, Kengo Kuma and Thom Mayne to drive the plans forward.
The 381m-tall structure, dubbed the ‘7132 Tower’, would be the tallest building in Europe if built, surpassing Renzo Piano’s Shard in London. The design features a slim tower, which will have mirrored cladding and 107 hotel suites.
The tower would also feature a podium, linking it to other nearby buildings, as well as new facilities including a spa, restaurant and bar. One of the architects currently working on site, Tadao Ando, said: "The transparent and slim '7132 Tower' designed by Thom Mayne of Morphosis will create a completely new world of hospitality in Vals. I believe it will harmonise in the beautiful landscape and will attract and impress various guests and visitors from all over the world.”
Planned to be completed by 2019, the team working on the project are eager to minimise its impact on the surrounding landscape. Thom Mayne, principal of Morphosis, commented: “For the 7132 hotel and arrival, the incredible setting demands reducing materiality and presence in the design so that, as in all our work, the connection to site becomes paramount. As much as possible, the hotel is a minimalist act that re-iterates the site and offers to the viewer a mirrored, refracted perspective of the landscape."
Plans have been unveiled by US-based Morphosis Architects for a luxury hotel next to Pritzker Prize-winner Peter Zumthor’s famous Therme Vals Spa, Switzerland. The directors of 7132 Ltd, Remo Stoffel and Pius Truffer are behind the scheme. Stoffel trumped a rival bid from Zumthor to buy the Therme Vals spa hotel from the municipality back in 2012, and he and Truffer are now keen to expand their presence in the
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