The design and fabrication of the façade for the Gantenbein Winery was the first field test for the concept behind R-O-B. In a pilot project 400 sqm brick façade divided into 72 single segments was fabricated on the robot facility at the ETH Zurich. Each brick is rotated by a different value and thus creating a plasticity of the façade, which when seen from afar creates an image of an oversized basket filled with grapes. Approached from a close range the figurative image, which appears soft and almost textile, dissolves in favour of the hard materiality of the brick.

Design:
Gramazio & Kohler Architects in cooperation with Bearth & Deplazes Architects.

Fabrication:
Gramazio & Kohler, Architecture and Digital Fabrication, ETH Zurich.

Project lead:
Tobias Bonwetsch

Team:
Michael Knauss, Michael Lyrenmann, Silvan
Oesterle, Daniel Abraha, Stephan Achermann,
Christoph Junk, Andri Lüscher, Martin Tann

Experts:
Jürg Buchli (statics), Dr. Nebojsa Mojsilovic and Markus
Baumann, IBK ETH Zurich (Structural tests)

Partner:
Keller Ziegeleien