Mountain Dwellings

The Mountain Dwellings are the second generation of the VM Houses. The program is 2/3 parking and 1/3 living. Rather than doing two separate buildings, we decided to merge parking and housing into a symbiotic relationship. All apartments have roof gardens facing the sun, amazing views, and parking directly under each unit.
Photos: Ulrik JantzenThe 80 dwellings appear as a suburban neighborhood of garden homes, flowing over a 10-storey building: suburban living with urban density. The roof gardens consist of a terrace and a garden that changes character according to the season. A glass façade separates the apartments from the gardens, providing light and fresh air.
The gigantic parking area contains 480 parking lots and a sloping elevator that moves along the inner walls of the mountain. At some places the ceiling height is up to 16 meters, creating the impression of a cathedral-like space. The north and west façades are covered by perforated aluminum plates, which let in air and light to the parking area. The holes in the façade form a huge reproduction of Mount Everest. By day the holes in the aluminum plates appear black on the bright aluminum, and the gigantic picture reminds one of a rough raster image. At night the façade is lit from the inside and looks like a multicolored photo negative, since each floor in the parking area has its own color.

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