Retelling architectural stories

For the architect duo Miriam Weyell and Florian Berner, architecture is created through poetic, sensual and narrative spaces, places and constellations. This requires an intensive examination of what already exists. And that is exactly what they do. Miriam Weyell explains how in our fascinating interview.

This year's focus topic at Architect@Work in Zurich is ‘Transformation’. What do you associate with this word, both in your basic understanding and in architecture?

“We really enjoy working with existing buildings. They have a history and tell a story about the place, the past and the people who built them. Conversion involves constraints and limitations, but at the same time offers opportunities and possibilities. If, for example, the Vogg barn (Ed.: in the German town of Neuenstein in Baden-Württemberg, southern Germany) conversion project had involved building new office space, exhibition space and a sales room, the result would never have been a house with such an impressive roof. The interior of the former barn, which is up to eleven metres high and has a striking wooden structure, thus becomes a luxury that would not have been possible with a new building.”

Cities, public spaces, proportions: at the beginning of a project, you always engage very intensively with the location. How difficult is it to convince your counterpart of the qualities of a place?

“At the beginning of a project, many ideas, dreams and needs are put on the table. As architects, we come from outside and take the time to take in and analyse the different needs, circumstances and specifications. From the start, we work with variants and explain how the qualities of the location can be optimally combined with the requirements.”

When tackling a construction project, you like to sketch and build models. This has become less common in the industry. What do you appreciate about this way of working?

“Sketching is a quick way for us to put thoughts and ideas on paper. We enjoy working in different media to test ideas and switch back and forth between virtual models, sketches and analogue model building throughout the design process. This allows projects to develop in a multi-layered way, as different aspects come to the fore through this way of working. Sketching and model building are both crafts and, for us, they are the most direct way of conveying thoughts and ideas. I am also convinced that sketching is the best way to combine intuition and reason. When drawing with CAD, intuition can sometimes get lost. And since design is very complex, I believe that intuition, which can draw on much more experience and knowledge than reason, plays a major role.”

In 2016, you drew attention to the space between closely related buildings with your art installation made of lines in the air at the ‘Transfer’ festival. In Steckborn, a municipality in Frauenfeld in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland, close to the border with Germany, you had a remarkable project with ‘Haus zur Glocke’. What did you want to express with this?

“The Haus zur Glocke expressed a desire to build a bridge between two half-timbered houses facing each other across a cantonal road. We achieved this by using strings to span three ‘bridge spaces’ between a window of the Haus zur Glocke and three windows of the house opposite. The packing strings used are white and shiny, reflecting the sunlight very delicately. We carried out the installation ourselves, and stretching the strings across the street was a challenge. At first, we wanted to install several strings at once and move them to the opposite windows. That didn't work at all. Everything got tangled up and became very complicated. In the end, we tied one string after the other, threw them over, pulled them up, stretched them and tied them again. In the end, it was almost a meditative process that took time but also allowed us to see the installation slowly grow. The installation was planned for a few weeks but is still there and can now even be seen from the air. The Haus zur Glocke project, an art house in Steckborn, is very ambitious and, like the bridge, has grown over time. The bridge symbolises the connection between the initiators' home and the art house. At the same time, it has become a landmark for the Haus zur Glocke and embodies the connection between old and new, present and past, art and people, culture and city, artist couple and art house.”

Would you say that art projects such as this can move, convince and inspire people more than, e.g., specialist lectures?

“Specialist lectures are important for describing your own work and working methods and for engaging in dialogue with others. It is only through dialogue and discussion with others that you can sort out your thoughts, discover new things, develop ideas or find solutions. But yes, art, music, theatre and architecture can reach more people and other interest groups than specialist lectures.”

One of your latest projects is the conversion of the Baumschulen Vogg barn. Why could this be a pioneering showcase project?

“With limited resources, we have transformed an old barn in such a way that it now gives the business a whole new function and identity. The barn was stripped of its fixtures and fittings and opened up at the front with openings in the half-timbered structure to allow light in, showcasing the high interior and the wooden support structure. The heated offices have been inserted as a house within a house, so that the existing structure remains uninsulated and unchanged. The added canopy with a polycarbonate wood facade gives the barn a new look. The concept is sustainable because the existing structure has been preserved and only a small amount of new material has been used. At the same time, the culture of the place is preserved and further developed with the barn. In our view, what has already been built should always be incorporated into new construction projects, at least conceptually and ideally in reality. Cities should be built and developed in this spirit.”

What were the biggest challenges? Was demolition an option?

“Fortunately, the owners of the Vogg tree nurseries had a great appreciation for the existing barn. We briefly discussed demolition at the beginning, but quickly rejected the idea. A major challenge was to bring the statics and a cantilevered canopy into harmony with the existing half-timbered structure. We wanted to continue building with the same material and not install any technical auxiliary structures. This continuation of the existing structure with solid wooden supports and beams characterises the interior today. The design management from a distance was also very instructive for us. Here, it is important to decide which details are really relevant to the overall project and which play a subordinate role in terms of perception and importance.”

Why was it so important to you to preserve the silhouette of the barn?

“The barn stands confidently in its place and, together with its gable, forms a small square with the residential building. It has a beautiful two-storey gabled roof, which remains untouched and quietly tells the story of its history as a functional building. It was important to us to preserve the structure in its rural setting.”

Your ‘Intarsienhaus’ or inlaid house (Ed.: in the north-central Swiss town of Zug) is another project in which a building was given a new lease of life. What was it that made it worth preserving and what was your vision for it?

“The couple took over the house where the woman's family had lived and where she had grown up, and together they converted it into their own home. On the one hand, the house is associated with many memories. On the other hand, there was a desire to create a home of their own that meets their needs. The house is part of an ensemble, and we made sure that this could still be seen. For example, we decided not to insulate the facade in order to preserve the fine structure and stone exterior wall. The extensions were deliberately constructed in timber with a vertically structured wooden facade to contrast with the stone facade. Inside, the floor coverings and wooden ceilings of the rooms were retained. Like inlays, the patchwork flooring and the different ceiling levels tell the story of the building's former use.”

Where does the passion to continue writing a built history come from?

“As humans, we are only visiting Earth for a short time. Some buildings have been standing for several hundred years and, ideally, continue to be used in different ways. This is the context in which we operate as architects. New buildings also contribute to the development of a city and continue its history. It is important to be aware of this during the planning process.”

What effect does demolition and new construction have on a place?

“It depends on the context in which the new building is constructed. New buildings sometimes offer an opportunity to upgrade and densify a location. The danger with demolition and new construction is that the neighbourhood loses its identity and, of course, cultural heritage. Beautiful and architecturally high-quality ensembles are often demolished to make way for new buildings. As a rule, we find solutions that work with the existing structures. We are delighted to be able to continue writing history with existing structures.”

Would you always give preference to building within existing structures?

“Whenever possible, yes, but it depends very much on the quality of the existing building. We see it as our task to build sustainably and economically through creative solutions. If, for example, only a small, poorly maintained building is available and its preservation would inevitably result in excessive additional construction costs, it makes sense to demolish it in individual cases.”

Do you think building in/with existing structures is the future of (sustainable) architecture? And where do you see the potential?

“Building in existing structures has a lot of potential: much less material needs to be used, making it more sustainable, and the identity of the place can be further developed. Repurposing a building leads to unique spaces that users can make their own. In addition, buildings that interact with their surroundings appeal to the senses. Materials, light and space become more vibrant with the diversity that further construction can offer. Roland Barthes uses the definition of acolouthia to describe spaces ‘in which ideas mix with feelings, when friends, by accompanying us through life, enable us to think, write and speak.’* We plan spaces that bring people together and promote creative exchange between them.”

*‘Acolouthia: I would like to use this word to describe that rare field where ideas are imbued with emotion, where friends, through the procession with which they accompany your life, enable you to think, write and speak.’ Roland Barthes, Œuvres complètes V, livres, textes, entretiens, 1977-1980, nouvelle édition revue

As part of the Zurich edition of ARCHITECT@WORK, Miriam Weyell will give a lecture entitled ‘Acolouthia’ on 7 May 2025 at 3 p.m.

Click here to read more information on the lecture.