1880s stone barn gets a modern makeover

The Swiss firm of Savioz Fabrizzi Architectes are adept at making old architecture new again, whether it’s giving a 1920s alpine hut the glitter treatment or transforming dozens of used shipping containers into a tastefully grungy music venue. So when one of the firm’s partners decided to redesign a 19th-century barn-turned-summer-house, they crafted a modern aesthetic to showcase the structure’s history rather than hide it.

The original stone barn was built in 1882 as seasonal farm housing in the fields of Sion, Switzerland. A renovation in 1980 added a second story and new roof so the structure could be used as a vacation home.

Its more recent transformation into Savioz House was accomplished on the exterior by removing the 1980s plaster facade, revealing the original barn stone and the 1980s block. Large single-paned windows were added, which can fully open to the pasture outside. The stone, block, and new exterior elements were all painted a sleek, uniform gray.

Inside, modern concrete flooring and gray-stained paneling create a thoroughly contemporary space on the first floor. The sleeping areas above are paneled in unstained plywood. The entire home is sparsely furnished and evokes an air of refined simplicity.

Via: Archinect