Steidlville

The Swiss architect Hans-Jörg Ruch has made a international name for himself with his thrillingly designed buildings and restorations. His specialty is the rebuilding of grand farmhouses and patrician homes in Engadin. Through Ruch’s interventions, the original character of the Engadin houses re-emerge in the interplay between the built-up surroundings and the countryside. Ten of Ruch’s interventions are presented in this book for the first time, lushly illustrated with more than 200 large format photographs and plans. Supplementing the visuals is a personal text by Ruch in which he outlines his philosophy, explains his approach to individual projects and presents the construction materials as they are revealed in his reconstructions. The large color photographs convey the state of these special buildings after renovation, the commingling of old and new. Shot from varied perspectives, the pictures impart a three-dimensional impression of the rooms. The picture material is complemented by an essay from art historian Ludmila Seifert-Uherkovich, proficient in the history and typology of the houses in Engadine.