Projects by Name

In 1963, Dr. Jaques Koerfer, an industrialist and collector of twentieth-century art, approached Breuer to design a family vacation house in the Swiss canton of Tessin. Breuer and his associate Herbert Beckhard created a three-storey house nestled into a steep hillside overlooking Lake Maggiore that took full advantage of the spectacular views with floor-to-ceiling glazed walls. Concrete terraces paved in granite rose above granite walls with the various levels connected by stairs with cantilevered concrete treads. The lower level contained the entrance, garage and servant’s quarters. The main living spaces could be found on the second floor while the smaller third floor featured a large terrace along with rooms for children and guests. Square apertures in the second and third floor terraces allowed trees to grow through the body of the house. A pool house with skylights was later built into a rock wall to the north of the site.