It was with this in mind that the architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron let themselves … A lift takes visitors to the fourth storey, where the circular tour begins. All images are © each office/photographer mentioned. The VitraHaus is Vitra’s flagship store.

the concept of the ‘vitrahaus’ connects two themes which are occurring in the architectural practice of herzog & de meuron: the theme of the … The VitraHaus is Vitra’s flagship store. The VitraHaus thus consists of gabled houses, particularly apt for presenting home furniture, which have been stretched in length, nested within each other and fitted with large windows at the front.The projections of the individual 12 houses float up to 15 breathtaking metres over each other, creating a “stack of houses” that almost looks chaotic. The rooms open up; the glazed gable ends turn into display cases that shine across the Vitra Campus and into the surrounding countryside.You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! The concept of the VitraHaus connects two themes that appear repeatedly in the oeuvre of Herzog & de Meuron: the theme of the archetypal house and the theme of stacked volumes. A wooden plank floor defines an open central area, around which five buildings are grouped: a conference area, an exhibition space for the chair collection of the Vitra Design Museum and a conglomerate comprising the Vitra Design Museum Shop, the lobby with a reception area and cloakroom, and a café with an outdoor terrace for summer use. The opposite end – where the glass front is recessed to create an exterior terrace – opens to a panorama of Basel with the industrial facilities of the pharmaceutical sector. The concept of the VitraHaus connects two themes that appear repeatedly in the oeuvre of Herzog & de Meuron: the theme of the archetypal house and the theme of stacked volumes. Upon exiting the lift, the glazed northern end of the room offers a spectacular view of the Tüllinger Hill. At 57 metres long, 54 metres wide and 21.3 metres tall, the VitraHaus towers over the other buildings on the Campus – and not only provides an overview of the Vitra Home Collection, but also a view of the surrounding areas – near and far.The VitraHaus is impressive both by day and by night. It was with this in mind that the architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron let themselves be inspired by the typical house shape for their design. Herzog & de Meuron, 2010, 2010 La VitraHaus est le magasin phare de Vitra. 294 VitraHaus, Vitra Campus Weil am Rhein, Germany Project 2006-2009, realization 2007-2009

All of the staircases are integrated into expansive, winding organic volumes that figuratively eat their way through the various levels of the building like a worm, sometimes revealing fascinating visual relationships between the various houses, at other times blocking the view. Just as interior and exterior spaces interpenetrate, so do two types of forms: the orthogonal-polygonal, as perceived from the exterior, and the organic, which produces a series of spatial surprises in the interior – a 'secret world' (in the words of Herzog & de Meuron) with a suggestive, almost labyrinthine character. Here, visitors have the opportunity to experience the furniture in the Home Collection, which is displayed in inspiring arrangements.

The latest addition to the complex is the VitraHaus building, a series of stacked pitched-roof boxed, designed by Herzog & de Meuron for Vitra's Home Collection:In January 2004, Vitra launched its Home Collection, which includes design classics as well as re-editions and products by contemporary designers. Les meubles de la collection Home y sont présentés au gré d'aménagements recréés avec goût et créativité. In The charcoal color of the exterior stucco skin unifies the structure, 'earths' it and connects it to the surrounding landscape. During the day, one gazes out of the VitraHaus into the landscape, but when darkness falls, the illuminated interior of the building glows from within, while its physical structure seems to dissipate. In the evening, the perspective is reversed.

The interior walls are finished in white in order to give priority to the furniture displays.With maximum dimensions of 187 feet in length, 177 feet in width and 69.8 feet in height, the VitraHaus rises above the other buildings on the Vitra Campus.