Art with a view!

By Beverly Pereira

Photography: Vera Subkus, Veech x Veech, Markus Rössle

Read Time: 2 mins

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Veech X Veech Architecture and Design Studio uses art and nature as nodal points to design a unique living space for an artist couple…

The ground-plus-one home, studio, gallery and sculpture garden of the renowned sculptor Vadim Kosmatschof and visual artist Elena Koneff is nestled on a hillside in Vienna with a breath-taking valley view. An atelier and exhibition area share space with the kitchen on the ground floor, while the living area, three rooms and roof atelier sit comfortably above.

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The multifunctional studio, designed by Austrian design firm Veech X Veech, takes advantage of the surrounding landscape and free flowing access to daylight - both creative motivators in their own right.

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Striking pieces of art and larger-than-life sculptures make for an exquisite fit throughout the space. But they appear equally at home in the extensive sculpture garden at the edge of a far-reaching valley.

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Looking out through the fully-glazed windows, it’s hard to miss these towering kinetic sculptures that become one with the surrounding landscape; almost as if they were created keeping the natural environs in mind.

The verdant scenery and generous use of glass and transparent materials fuels a constant dialogue between the building, sculptures and surrounding landscape. Straight lines in the building structure are an exercise in restraint, which, in turn, amplifies the effect that both the indoor and outdoor art conjures up.

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Multiple terraces sit at different levels of the terrain creating added vantage points and space for the sculptures, while responding to challenges presented by the steep, south-facing site. The versatility of perspective inside and outside enables the building to enter into a dialogue between closed and open space.

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The living area on the top storey extends widely out of the main structure, ingeniously reducing the sunrays that enter the exhibition space on the ground floor and simultaneously creating a shaded outdoorsy area.

The experience of art and architecture becomes a compelling fusion of totality.

Fact File:

Project Name: Artist Studio

Client: Private Commission

Design Firm: Veech X Veech

Design Team: Stuart A. Veech, Mascha Veech - Kosmatschof, Peter Mitterer, Joao Passanha, Martin Krcha

Consultants: Peter Bauer / WerkraumWien Ingenieure

Site Area: 3.620 sq. m.

Net Building Area: 394 sq. m.

Location: Lower Austria