Fishery building in Ligerz, Switzerland

This fishery building on Bielersee accommodates two quite different functions. For the private client – one of the few professional fishermen on the lake – it is a workplace, containing rooms for processing the catch and for storing nets and boat-hoisting equipment. In conjunction with the planning, the municipality of Ligerz also commissioned a public sun deck, which was intended as a replacement for the open area in the small fishing harbour now occupied by the fishery building itself. The design was the outcome of a competition. The building, which has a cantilevered roof, is set freely in the harbour and extends outinto the bay. The structure was erected to a large extent over the water and is supported by rammed piles. The form of construction, and especially that of the roof, was influenced by the limited access to the site and by building regulations restricting the height of the deck. Instead of designing an insulated, ventilated structure on roof beams, the architects opted for a solid timber roof that would provide adequate insulation for the only enclosed space beneath. In addition, it was to be prefabricated in sections, which allowed it to be delivered via the narrow route leading to the site. The surface of the deck consists of sawn larch strips. Its sharp, cut-off edge creates a free visual transition to the lake. In contrast to the tight, cubic volumes of the building, the railings were designed in a curving form and filled with nylon mesh.