Every year for the last ten years, I have returned with my family to ski in the Swiss town, St. Moritz. This is where Norman Foster built Chesa Futura from 2000-2004, a futuristic, yet very traditional building that breaks the conformity of the typical mountain village architecture in this little skiresort.

I have followed the creation of this amazing building since the very start and every year I look forward to see the progression of the patina, caused by the layers of snow on the wooden construction. 

The house looks like a big pumpkin, a donut even, and is a fascinating view. Both from a distance and inside the apartments. This is Fosters own description of Chesa Futura (as the house is called):  

"Although small, the site of the Chesa Futura apartment house is located on the edge of a slope, looking down over the village of St. Moritz towards the lake. Fusing state-of-the-art computer design tools with centuries-old construction techniques, it is an environmentally sensitive building that is seamlessly inserted into the spectacular landscape."

Pictures borrowed from www.fosterandpartners.com