FLAMATT II

Established in Berne in 1955, architectural studio Atelier 5 were key to introducing béton brut architecture to Switzerland. In their early years, the five founding members acted like architectural DJs, superbly remixing their idol, Grandmaster Le Corbusier.  While Flamatt I liberally cited Corbu’s seminal unité d’habitation in Marseille, Flamatt II embraced the curvaceous poetry of the Palace of Assembly in Chandigarh, India. Between the two, the studio had landed an international smash hit in their own right with Halen estate (1961), a pioneer of low-rise, high density housing. Flamatt II thus presented Atelier 5 with the added thrill of bringing their own designs into the mix in the shape of  floor plans deployed in the Halen apartments. The compact box-on-stilts structure comprises for identical units and one larger studio space complete with private rooftop-garden. Like its neigbouring predecessor, Flamatt II is listed as an Object of National Significance.