sundance

Alice Studio, Architects of Space

ALICE, the French acronym for Atelier de la Conception de L’Espace (don’t ask me how, you just have to take their word for it), is a group of architecture students from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausaunne whose primary focus is creating environments that provide unique spatial experiences. You could say that about all architecture in general, too, but you won’t find ALICE designing museums, homes or offices. Rather, they build site-specific structures in distinct locations, like “Evolver,” which sits on the edge of Lake Stelli in Zermatt, Switzerland.

“Evolver” offers a winding, 720-degree panoramic view of the dramatic Swiss setting. True, you could stand in one place and circle around, but that’s not quite the same experience. With its open, wooden slats, “Evolver” allows you to seemingly climb up into the landscape, virtually scaling the mountains and taking it all in from an elevation not usually enjoyed by the casual nature lover. Aside from the fact that it must have been a nightmare to build (scroll down for pictures of helicopters delivering supplies to the construction site), seeing a structure like this in the middle of nowhere is a pretty incredible experience on its own. It scores points on functionality and concept, but it also looks very cool, and in design, isn’t that half the battle?