Standing beside the Vitra Design Museum by Frank Gehry (1989) and the Conference Pavilion by Tadao Ando (1993) VitraHaus in Weil am Rhein, by Herzog & de Meuron (2010) connects the two buildings.  The concept behind its design connects two themes which appear in the work of Herzog & de Meuron; the stacked volumes and the typical house figure which we drew as kids.

The entire concept and the primary purpose behind the design of this five-storey building is the presentation of Vitra furniture and objects for the home as if they are in your home.  The showrooms proportions and dimensions are very human like and very familiar as the VitraHaus is very similar to a residential setting – the architects prefer to use the term ‘domestic scale’ to describe the case.  Despite the showroom appearance, the interiors have turned out to be very cozy and welcoming.

However, what I find most fascinating is the element of the reversed perspective that VitraHaus has.  The building has a daytime and a night time view.  During the day, one can gaze from the VitraHaus outwards while when the night falls the illuminated interior allows for uninterrupted views from the exterior into the interior.  The interior lies before the eyes of the Vitra Campus and the countryside of Weil am Rhein.