Evolver / Alice Studio
Designed and built by second year students of the Alice Studio at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, the Evolver is a wooden alpine structure that “provides a more interactive way to take in the views of the glorious mountains – especially the Matterhorn.”
More about the project after the break.
Located near a clear alpine lake near Zermatt, Switzerland, the spiraling wooden structure is made of 24 round wooden frames that twist 720 degrees to offer amazing views of the surroundings.
As the user walks inside the structure, arches rise and fall, opening up new views along the journey. These specific views are meant to have the viewer focus on distinct areas and take in the vast landscape slowly.
Made from a single material, the Evolver is a simple building that adds to the essence of the serene space. The pavilion ”serves as both a destination and an activity” for those enjoying the Zermatt area.
As seen on Inhabitat.
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look like an dragon..
выглядит как будто кто в лесу нас..л
more info on evolver’s blog –>
http://arpc167.epfl.ch/alice/WP_09/
enjoy!
Why should I have a better view on the mountains inside this ugly cage? This looks completely unnatural. You can’t even have a good look outside because of the very tight struture. And one question. Why this red color? Not really good work.
I’m totaly agree with you..
(I just finish my 3rd year in EPFL)
now this is swiss
for thee pussies who wont walk into the mountains for an “interactive experience”
These 2nd-year students are collectively better than many established architects, when it comes to sculptural design.
Actually, the views and pictures are much more better without this “building”. it takes all the attention to it self, but the idea is to view the mountains,not building….
“We wanted to build something fashionable with our students. The structure has no purpose, but we thought if we put it in front of the Matterhorn, it would look more emblematic.”
See? Wasn’t that difficult.
the answer shows the problem!!! youre so superficial, more emblematik hahah, bkoz the structure has no purpose hoooo
HANDS OFF THE MOUNTAINS. Please. There is no excuse building a whatever structure in the last wildnis on this Earth. It is enough of senseless projects like the Top of Tirol or the planned AlpspiX are just a shame. Just imagine the same place without the structure – even more beautiful, isn´t it. Let nature be nature.
Pointless… where does the money for these things come from?
pointless?…if experimenting in space and construction during studies, based on a conceptual and theoretical researches becomes pointless, where is the motivation of being an architect?
i agree to you that things like that are necessary for architecture students. i’m not sure if you andestand my idea,but every day it becomes less and less virgin nature. and puting objects like this in mountains, gives a question what are we going to see: nature or object. they have the contrast, which in this case, with ‘virgin’ nature is unecessary. beacause subcontiously it attract persons attention, and there “pups up” a question what is main: nature or object?..
from my point of view, while going to this object, people see an object and nature and how do they look together. and my opinion even when person NOT in object, standing out, sees everything as beautiful view as without it(object). so to moka it “invisible”,but easily found, and interior, and exterior,and constructions… so many things together, but that’s why archi has his brain.
ps. even students must at first understand what they are doing and what for, and then experiment.it’s difficult.
excuse me, but you wanted to build smth fasionable,or you wanted to build it FOR PEOPLE to enjoy the nature??????????
this is not a question exactly(?) to you, but to all architects.
but to you too, if you do it.
The usual panoramic platform is exactly something to enjoy the nature and it always works,you don’t need something fashion and complex.
Here its different, we wanted to open a question on what is “PANORAMA”, the question of framing and guiding a view. The interior pictures here are pretty bad because we don’t understand what the continuous opening does along the circulation, it actually turns 360 degrees around the person while the person turns 720 degrees in a continuous changing z position.
if you want to see all that information check the blog
http://arpc167.epfl.ch/alice/WP_09/
I like it, it seems more like a way point than a destination. If it was well done (which you can’t tell because all the photos are of the structure and not the view) it’s an inventive use of using sculpture/architecture to define and limit view, allowing the viewer to see specifics rather than the whole thing at once. Architectural Photography in a way (framing what can be seen or not seen to draw attention to what is there than everything else-whether or not the else is also important). That doesn’t limit the viewer to only seeing the mountains from the structure.
I’d like to see photos from inside looking out, as well as see what the site looks like from a long distance, how a hiker might view it or a visitor first encounter it.
I don’t see such a bad thing here, It’s an experiment and it was built, nothing wrong with that. It may have things that may not please but there it is, in the end existing, that in architecture, is a great thing, many good and bad ideas don’t even make it out of paper, this one did. I don’t hate it, not find anything necessarily wrong for its setting, and the twisting path might even be fun once you’re there, who knows.
Nice sculptural piece. Great work for second year students. Great oppertunity which many schools do not offer. I dont mind it where it stands, but I wouldnt mind seeing this in an urban setting.
I think this is pretty good for 2nd year students…..
There is plenty of mountain that is obstructed by ugly architecture so I think it is really an important question that needs work done to resolve it… Give them a break for not only trying but also actually doing something cool…
maybe it should have a bit of essence.. i mean its great when it comes to singular without it context… but when it put into the mountain context it became contrast in all way i look at it… should have lose the red colour
simply super can u send me the details of the drawings
you will find them on the Evolver blog :
http://arpc167.epfl.ch/alice/WP_09/?p=640
http://arpc167.epfl.ch/alice/WP_09/?p=640
this are the final academic drawings, the skin has changed from metal to wooden lattice due to production time and construction tolerances.
I wrote my thesis on “An Architectural Response to the Sublime”. This project confirms my opening statement that architects are known to design impulsively. We either try to make a loud statement and ignore the context or hide our building away.
View seems to be the only concern but that shows the building can have little meaning beyond that function. Looking at trace concepts of the sites past can reveal really cool elements to drive a design. Geoology, History, Environmental, archeological, scientific..all explore the particulars of THAT place. The result can be a design that personally responds to the site and has greater meaning. It worked for me!
Understand the context as well, its as much a mental manifestation as it is a physical one. Our perception is one of awe, a vastness of landscape with a canvas of simple contrasts in forms, materials and colours. The architect should understand that, ignoring the context is dangerous and leads to a pointless and odd looking insertion.
Have you built anything, dear?
Yes. May i ask what you are implying?
I doubt it’s a virgin landscape. If you think of people who have traveled through the mountains, camped there for weeks at a time, perhaps nomads at one stage in time, then it’s certainly not untouched. There are lots of projects out there located in similar settings and they work, like Zumthor’s Therme Vals (not that i’m comparing the two). I for one think it’s a great project, especially for 2nd year architects. Would love to wake up to that view :)
At least it isn’t boring. More than what can be said for most firms’ work. true, it’s not necessary, but saying such experiments are pointless is misguided. I’m sure the mountains will outlast it, so it hasn’t spoiled anything. Some more discussion here: http://bit.ly/3qM3Fe
EVOLVER the movie ->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3MNDyxSews
adrian, i hope you dont believe everything you say here, because you might have been brainwashed!!!
please tell me you’ll take that dog dirt off this place?
you’re very contradictory… you think you’ll appreciate the nature with that, you say that the pictures are bad (why??? because IT S BAD, it doesn’t mean nothing exept pointless preocupations) it is not even an experiment, …
how much did it cost all togheter (paying the students, helicopter, furniture…) and where did you get the money for?
is that the new epfl style nowadays?
maybe it s sculpural but a 1:10 model would have been enough, you dont revolutionate nothing at all
if this are our new architects, aiiiie, but im sure you like it
gee miss pointless, relax would you. Even if you don’t think the building is fitting for the landscape, don’t you think it’s at least a good exercise in spatial design? And construction and structural design for that matter? For a 2nd yr class, i think it’s a great exercise, and as they progress through their degree they will appreciate more and more the importance of integration with the landscape. Negativity gets you nowhere, so chillax.
aiie… I don’t understand why people is so negative. Those mountains are going to stay there for long long time you know, so where is the probleme with experiencing something there just for a few month? The landscape is spoiled? then please, if you’re not able to enjoy it for the time it’s there, wait till it’s going to be like it has allways been, untuched. That’s why this structure isn’t permanent, nature is beautifull in it self but why shouldn’t we deal with it? At least try. This “object” is not necessary for sure but what an experience!
Maybe we have to be more open minded and let students understand what they’re doing without beeing so negative.
SPIRAL of goodness & wooden DESIGN complexity! This CREATION makes you want to hang out — and IN.
From Page: “Evolver is an architectural artefact intervening on the panorama surrounding Zermatt. It was designed and executed by a team of 2nd year students from the ALICE Studio at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. In an effort to take full advantage of the site’s extensive and astounding views, the project sits strategically next to the lake Stelli at an altitude of 2,536 m (8,320 feet).
Evolver’s structure mainly consists of a succession of 24 rotating frames supporting an enclosed space that visitors are encouraged to enter. As he or she progresses through the space, a concealed but uninterrupted 720° movement is unraveling along a transformed panorama.
This transformation occurs while inside a person is moving along a selective string of openings only to be caught peeling off a sequence of unexpected views from the original landscape.
Wobbling below and above a distant horizon, ground and sky have been reorchestrated into an orbiting panorama by a journey that has already culminated to where it started: A loophole on the skyline.”
Found this good video about the project, worth a look
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3MNDyxSews
Seems to me like the nature doesn’t need this thing to be there, and the structure’s purpose wasn’t to provide a better view into nature at all, no matter how good the description make it sound…its all just pretty words…. Kinda egotistic in my opinion….like its trying to manipulate nature…or take away its spotlight….And lastly, red does NOT somehow make this thing more ‘fashionable’…lolz.
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