Le 36

Crans-Montana, Switzerland

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Swiss Alps

Le 36

Crans-Montana, Switzerland

Firm

Haute'Xposure

Type

Residential › Apartment

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2023

SIZE

0 sqft - 1000 sqft

BUDGET

$100K - 500K

Le 36 is an interior designer-owned project in the Swiss ski resort of Crans Montana. This is a penthouse apartment built in the 1980s with solid Swiss construction but had become dated.

Florent Breton (the founder of La 36 and homeowner) wanted to modernize the space while maintaining its connection to historic Swiss traditions of Switzerland, hence the visual and functional focal point — the kachelofen. This is a tiled stove from the German part of Switzerland typical in Swiss chalets both small and large. Painted in red brick, the warmth emanates from the centre of the room even without a fire.

With a smallish floor plan (c. 1000sqft), the voluminous beamed ceiling balances the space and provides a sense of tranquility. Sandblasted wooden beams stripped down to their natural essence are combined with a Japanese aesthetic to achieve a visual harmony.

The balance of traditional craftsmanship and modern design is inherent in this project: The locally hand-constructed bookcase is inspired by the Japanese technique of Sashimono but crafted by regional artisans.

The philosophy of Japanese aesthetics are found in the flooring where cracks are filled with gold thread using the kintsugi technique, in the bedrooms where katagami stencils traced the mountain silhouettes across the walls and finally the spirit of Akari is captured in the weightless luminosity.