Felsenburg House – Biel/Bienne, Switzerland
Title
Felsenburg House – Biel/Bienne, Switzerland
Website
Designed by
Sara Gelibter Architecte
Image Credit
© Cyril Käppeli
Project Description
Felsenburg House in Biel is a renovation and vertical extension by Sara Gelibter Architecte for an artist couple. Initially planned as a modest refurbishment, the project became more ambitious after serious structural defects were uncovered, including a long-compromised roof. The solution was a new top floor that transformed the former industrial structure into a distinctive home.
The building’s layered past shaped the intervention: once a wine shed, later industrial workshops, a youth hostel, and then fragmented into domestic conversions. Rather than erasing these traces, the design built on them, creating a “house on top of a house” that redefines the building’s identity while addressing noise and climate challenges from the adjacent railway. The result is a long-life, loose-fit, low-impact building—resourceful, adaptable, and rooted in its historic context.
Windows facing the tracks were closed, while large openings towards the Alps frame expansive views. Inside, salvaged elements such as a theatre staircase, reused beams, and repurposed components reflect a collaborative, resource-conscious approach.
