Inspirations
Explore the elevated life in the mountains. This content debuted in 2015 with Alpine Modern’s printed quarterly magazine project.
Editor's Choice: Concrete Beauty
5 brilliant examples of use of the quintessential building material that helped to define the aesthetics of modern architecture.
Where would modern construction be without concrete? The building material is not only an essential element of modern architecture, it helped to define it's aesthetic. Equally, the cabins, homes, and resorts in these stories—collected from the printed Alpine Modern magazine as well as this Editorial—are unique for their use of concrete.
Refuge in Concrete
Refugi Lieptgas is the negative imprint of its ancient predecessor. Read the story→
The Swiss Art of Alpine Luxury
Jonathan Ducrest’s photo essay portrays the luxury hotel 7132 in Vals, Switzerland, with its iconic thermal baths designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. Read the story→
The Soul Catcher
Peter Haimerl’s progressive designs save derelict farmhouses. Read the story→
Camera Lucida by Christian Tonko / Photo by Eduard Hueber
Camera Lucida
An artist’s atelier becomes a looking device into the Austrian landscape. Read the story→
Concrete Perspectives
Australian photographer Jake Weisz discovers the minimalist Amangiri Resort in Southern Utah. Read the story→ △
Editor's Choice: Modern design in the Austrian Alps
Stable in the Landscape
An award-winning Austrian architect ennobles vernacular alpine building tradition to sophisticated minimalism. Read more »
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Snow-Proofed Hillside Family Home in Austria
This house can weather even the fiercest winter storm and an avalanche. Read more »
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Context and Contrast in the Alps
An Austrian vacation home’s design references its mountainside setting and expansive views across the valley. Read more »
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Camera Lucida
The small studio Vienna architect Christian Tonko designed for an artist friend becomes a looking device into the landscape, set in the foothills of the Austrian Alps. Read more »
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They Call It Happiness: Hotel Wiesergut
A serene retreat in the Salzburger Land, set against ski slopes and hiking trails. Read more »
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The Height of Hip: Kristallhütte
A slope-side hotel and hipster après-ski hangout in Austria’s Hochzillertal. Read more »
Camera Lucida
An artist's atelier becomes a looking device into the Austrian landscape
The small studio Vienna architect Christian Tonko designed for an artist friend becomes a looking device into the landscape, set in the foothills of the Austrian Alps.
The minimalist studio in Austria’s Vorarlberg region is a visual device in itself that frames the surrounding alpine landscape in two directions. In addition to a single skylight in the roof, the bilevel space has two vertical openings: The tilted glazing to the southeast lets in optimum sunlight, modulated through exterior screens. On the lower northwest end, a system of weathering steel frames allows the artist, who works in traditional media, to hoist up bronze sculptures outside and suspend them in his direct sight in front of the glass. The sculptures also receive their natural patina this way. The artist uses the upper level for sketching and painting in watercolor and the lower level for working on larger canvases and for sculpting.
Architect Christian Tonko’s choice of raw and untreated materials contributes to the character of a workshop. The interior surfaces are raw concrete, raw steel, and untreated oak. On a tectonic level, the structure responds to the descending site.
A Conversation with Christian Tonko
For whom did you design Camera Lucida?
The artist is a family friend. He recently retired and now wants to concentrate on art. The wish for his own studio has been present for many years . . . until it finally happened.
How is the space being used?
His desire was to create a space that is focused on creating art, yet, at the same time is also suitable for reading a book and looking at the landscape. It’s a small studio for drawing, painting, and sculpting for one person. It’s also intended to be a space for retreat and contemplation.
"His desire was to create a space that is focused on creating art, yet, at the same time is also suitable for reading a book and looking at the landscape."
The structure’s design is inspired by an ancient optical device, the eponymous camera lucida. What's the story behind the name?
Historically, the “camera lucida” is an optical drawing aid. It enables the artist to look at an object and a piece of paper simultaneously and, thus, facilitates tracing the object. At the same time, the term can be literally translated to signify “bright chamber.”
What was your original vision for the design of the studio?
At the beginning was the idea to build a small factory. This is where the semi-industrial character of the design stems from.
"At the beginning was the idea to build a small factory."
How did that initial idea evolve into the final design?
This idea of the small factory influenced the design on various levels. It influenced our choice of materials and surface textures but also directly informed the form-finding process. The volume is basically a box with a skylight, just like an archetypical factory building. Then it is set into the hillside and, therefore, the final appearance comes into being.
What’s it like to be and to work in the space?
It is a calm and bright place. The landscape is very present, but it is easy to focus on work and tune out everything else.
What is the synergy between Camera Lucida and its gorgeous mountain setting?
The building itself acts as an optical framing device, so the views are very clearly framed. At the same time, the building is directed towards the sunlight. A great amount of light floods in through the south-facing tilted glazing, which demands exterior sun protection. So sometimes the building is completely closed and the view is blocked.
The Alps are very close, as the site sits at the end of the Lower Rhine Valley, which means it is at the foothills of the Alps. But the building intentionally looks away from the mountains towards Lake Constance. Moreover, the site next to it is inhabited by four Cameroon mountain goats. They are grazing right in front of the window, which is a great feature as it creates a calm and relaxed atmosphere.
What’s on your drawing board right now?
I am currently working on a building that serves as a base for ski tours. It’s located close to the Camera Lucida project, but at a much higher altitude, in a great mountain setting. △
