Design
Gilda is a 1930’s icon reinvented for the Swiss Alps. Both award-winning Architectural office Šik and interior designer MACH Architecture went above and beyond to create a timeless residence that invites mindful living.
In conversation with MACH Architecture and Architectural office Šik
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What was your inspiration for Gilda?
Everything grew from the architecture. We interpreted the building’s streamlined design and long lines as the horizon and coupled that with the idea of travel. You see, in the 1930s—the era of Bauhaus—a lot of buildings were curved to mimic the dynamic advancements in automobiles.
How do the interiors reflect this idea?
Just like in a car, the outfitting of the interiors is streamlined. So the floors, walls, and ceiling all flow into one another. Outside and inside blend seamlessly too. You can see that in the shared pattern style of the living room and terrace. And to mimic the horizon line, we used different materials above and below the window line. This detailing runs throughout the entire apartment.
What atmosphere did you want to create?
We wanted Gilda to invite comfort. A luxurious comfort you sense before seeing. Not something gaudy or glitzy, because quality is something you feel. Warm lighting and tactile materials, like rock and wood, helped achieve that. So for the floors in the living room, kitchen and bedroom, we used walnut parquet, and for the bathroom porcelain stone.
How did you achieve a timeless design?
We used traditional practices in a very modern way. For example, we hand-laid shingles over round corners and added silver ink onto their surface. The rounded shape links back to the Bauhaus period while the silver ink gives the traditional shingles a modern sheen that also protects them from aging visibly.
David Marquardt of MACH Architecture
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Our team would be delighted to answer any questions you have about Gilda, so please feel free to get in touch.
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