TRIATH - Multifunctional Gallery

(…) Grenzach-Wyhlen is a German border town, not far from Basel. The young clients dream of establishing a little art scene there in the shadows of the Swiss art metropolis, with small exhibitions and their new platform “vernissage.tv.” The gallery should provide the three-dimensional skin for it all.
The simple box of reinforced concrete, left in its original gray, is lifted to hover above a deeply recessed ground floor. In the design process, a lateral edge was lost, as replacement, a ramp is unfolded down to street level.
Entry hall, storage, and sanitary facilities are on the ground level. Up high is a monospace, which can serve equally as office or gallery. For every art its space; the walls remain neutral white, withdrawing as a silent backdrop.
The well-groomed culture of the changes in levels is what makes Triath so ostensibly interesting and lends the project a dignified charm. One shouldn’t be out of breath when enjoying art: flat stairs in the inner and outer space transform a rush up the steps into an elegant glide.

Wojciech Czaja, “Die Kunst zeigt ihre Zunge (Art Sticks Its Tongue Out)”, periscope architecture, 2007