<Music House, Einsiedeln Abbey, Einsiedeln, 2006–2011

The Benedictine monastery Einsiedeln Abbey was founded in 934. Over the course of the centuries, it has developed into an expansive and diverse array of buildings. The new music house of the Abbey school was erected in the location of the previous building from the 1930s. It stands at the end of the student courtyard, which is enclosed by the north wing of the monastery, a large lawn, and the walls of the monastery’s courtyard. The two-story building echoes the risalit theme of the Baroque main building, continuing this theme even in its internal structure. It is centered on a glassed-in section, which houses a garden hall on the first floor and the rehearsal rooms on the second. The staggered window banks open out onto the courtyard in front and the monastery garden at the back. Next to the building, behind rough, light-colored cement walls and adjoining the main building to the south, is the stairwell and elevator shaft, to the north is a storage room, with the music room located above.

The airy, column-free garden hall doubles as a foyer and an event space. It also serves to connect the music room to the classrooms in the monastery’s north and east wing. The stairwell leads to a corridor with ten glass doors that open onto the rehearsal rooms; their walls and ceilings support the central section. The music room is located at the end of this corridor; it extends the entire height of the second floor, culminating with the slanted ceiling. A large window takes up the entire north facing façade and offers a view of the lawn and surrounding landscape.