Golfclub Grand Resort 2015
Bad Ragaz | Switzerland

Task: Golfclub
Client: Grand Resort | Bad Ragaz AG
Tender: Study contract 1^st grade – in process
Architecture: Bernardo Bader Architects
Team: Axel Baudendistel, Joachim Ambrosig, Philipp Bechter, Jomo Zeil
Site manager: Bernardo Bader Architekten
Photos: Adolf Bereuter | Pascal Gnädinger

The big roof

The existing clubhouse of the Grand Resort in Bad Ragaz in Switzerland is in need of a renewal. It no longer meets the requirements of a modern sports and wellness resort. In addition to the tradition of the 18-hole golf course in Switzerland, the place is characterized by the stunning natural beauty of the landscape, the old woodland and views of the Rhine valley, the summits of the Churfirsten mountain range and the Rätikon region.

We designed a new building that would meet the high expectations of Grand Resort Bad Ragaz by bringing out the full potential of the place, its offerings and ambiance. The ground and upper floors of the current clubhouse will be completely dismantled. The perimeter and the foundation will remain partly intact, even though the space will be reorganized by removing the current building core and establishing a fully functional basement level.

The architectural placement of the “Piano Nobile” strikes a confident balance between the golf course, the existing building of the Grand Resort and the surrounding landscape. The new structure taps into the spatial-atmospheric potential of the place with the serene gesture of its widely projecting roof. All spaces of the modern clubhouse accessible to the public are brought together below this sheltering and unifying roof structure, which displays both an opening and a framing quality. With carefully chosen materials that adapt to the specific needs of each given space, a variety of contextual spatial moods are created that exhibit various heights as well as different light qualities, color and sound variations. Using exclusive materials paired with skilled craftsmanship is to bring about a building which will endure the test of time without much need for repair and maintenance.