HÔTEL DES HORLOGERS
LOCATION: Le Brassus, Vallée de Joux, Vaud, Switzerland
ARCHITECTURE: BIG — Bjarke Ingels Group, in collaboration with CCHE
INTERIOR DESIGN: AUM Pierre Minassian
YEAR: 2022
STYLE: Contemporary Landscape Architecture / Alpine Modernism
Located in the Vallée de Joux in the Swiss Jura Mountains, Hôtel des Horlogers is a contemporary architectural project designed by BIG — Bjarke Ingels Group in collaboration with Swiss architectural practice CCHE. Developed for the watchmaking house Audemars Piguet, the hotel establishes a distinctive relationship between architecture, topography and the natural landscape of the region.
The building is conceived as a series of interconnected volumes that follow the slope of the terrain. Rather than imposing a conventional vertical structure upon the landscape, the architecture unfolds horizontally through a sequence of inclined planes and terraces.
Its defining feature is a continuous zigzagging composition that responds to the natural contours of the site. The stepped geometry creates a dynamic architectural silhouette while allowing the building to remain closely connected to the surrounding valley.
Vegetated roofs extend across the different levels, reinforcing the impression that the structure emerges from the landscape. These planted surfaces soften the building’s geometric expression and establish visual continuity with the meadows and forests of the Vallée de Joux.
Large glazed façades open the interiors towards the surrounding mountains, bringing daylight deep into the building and framing views of the natural environment. The transparency of these surfaces contrasts with the more solid architectural elements, creating a balance between enclosure and openness.
Inside, the architectural language is defined by natural materials, restrained detailing and a warm contemporary atmosphere. Timber, stone and carefully selected finishes reference the surrounding alpine environment while maintaining a distinctly modern character.
The organisation of the hotel reflects its unusual external geometry. Circulation routes and communal spaces follow the building’s stepped configuration, creating a spatial experience in which movement through the interior remains closely connected to the changing landscape outside.
The project also reflects the cultural identity of the Vallée de Joux, a region internationally associated with fine watchmaking. Its precise geometry, carefully considered details and integrated architectural composition establish a subtle connection with the traditions of craftsmanship and technical innovation that define the area.
Hôtel des Horlogers demonstrates how contemporary hospitality architecture can respond to a sensitive natural setting without relying on traditional alpine forms. Through its distinctive geometry, green roofs and carefully integrated spaces, the building proposes a modern interpretation of architecture shaped by its landscape.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
Hôtel des Horlogers represents an innovative approach to contemporary landscape architecture, in which BIG and CCHE transform the natural topography of the Vallée de Joux into the organising principle of the building. Its stepped geometry, vegetated roofs and close relationship with the surrounding terrain demonstrate how hospitality architecture can become an extension of the landscape rather than a separate object within it.
