Alpine tradition and contemporary vision

Category: Residential Interiors
Location: Verbier – Switzerland
Architect: Cittolin Polli & Associés SA

Developed in collaboration with the studio Cittolin Polli & Associés SA in Martigny (CH), Chalet Marmottière is located in the prestigious Borgo district, just a short walk from the golf course and with direct access to the Rouge slope connecting to the Verbier ski area.

Conceived as a high-end private residence, the chalet integrates a full range of wellness and entertainment spaces: an indoor pool with a starry sky ceiling, two bowling lanes with bar area, a game room, a poker room, and a dynamic cinema.

These spaces, seamlessly integrated into the architecture, transform the home into an immersive experience, where technology, comfort, and quality of life coexist in a discreet and harmonious way.

The secluded and quiet location further defines the identity of the project: the chalet can be reached via a small pedestrian path or through a tunnel shared with nearby properties—an approach that preserves privacy and strengthens the relationship with the surrounding natural landscape.

The project is built around a precise balance: maintaining the language of Alpine tradition while introducing a contemporary, sophisticated, and material-driven aesthetic. Exposed timber structures, stone surfaces, and large openings to the outdoors engage in dialogue with custom furnishings characterized by a strong design identity.

The central element of the bedroom is the headboard in high-gloss Macassar ebony, crafted through a highly complex process: the structure is first assembled and then subjected to a high-gloss finishing cycle consisting of eight coats, applied over approximately two weeks, with intermediate stages of sanding and hand polishing.

This process results in a perfectly continuous, deep, and mirror-like surface, capable of enhancing the three-dimensionality of the ebony grain and interacting with light in a dynamic and sophisticated way. The outcome is a striking feature that defines the sleeping area with elegance and a strong identity.

The bathroom continues the same language, unfolding as a compact and sculptural space, defined by the use of high-gloss Macassar ebony paired with Nero Belgio marble.

The countertop and basins are entirely crafted in marble, custom-made to achieve pure geometries and visual continuity. The stone surfaces interact with the glossy wood, creating a balance between material weight and light reflection, transforming the space into an essential, refined, and highly tactile volume.

Inside the chalet, a controlled interplay between different languages emerges: alongside Alpine tradition, elements with a technological and contemporary character are introduced.

The cabinet made of carbon fiber sheet with steel inserts represents one of the most distinctive features of the project. Its identity is defined by the unique shaping of the shelves, which develop through broken and dynamic geometries, creating a play of solids and voids that visually lightens the volume and enhances its three-dimensionality.

The piece is conceived as a transformable system: it is equipped with two fully foldable bi-fold doors that, once opened, disappear into the sides of the structure, leaving the object completely open and accessible.

When needed, the entire volume can be enclosed by semi-reflective glass bi-fold doors, which return a more compact and sophisticated appearance, playing with reflections and transparencies and transforming the cabinet into an almost monolithic element.

The result is an object that shifts in function and perception, transitioning from an open display element to a closed volume, while always maintaining a strong formal identity.

The desk represents one of the most advanced elements of the project, both from a technical and perceptual standpoint.

The top is crafted with a “piano” finish in paraffined polyester, a highly refined process that allows for extremely compact, deep, and mirror-like surfaces. Parafined polyester enables a superior level of polishing compared to traditional coatings, achieving a visual result comparable to high-end lacquered surfaces in the musical and nautical sectors. The outcome is a perfectly uniform, flawless surface, capable of reflecting light with remarkable intensity and precision.

Integrated within the top are fully concealed technological systems: lamps that emerge through a push-pull mechanism and power outlets with a rotating electronic control, designed to appear only when needed and to maintain a completely clean surface when not in use.

The structure is supported by an extremely slender polished steel leg in relation to the size of the top, designed to minimize visual impact and enhance the perception of lightness. The structural base was installed prior to the wooden flooring, which subsequently incorporates it and completely conceals its fixings.

This construction detail creates a deliberately striking effect: the desk appears almost suspended, without any visible support, achieving a balance that challenges perception and conveys a strongly sculptural presence.

The surrounding furnishings are entirely upholstered in Alcantara, introducing a soft and enveloping tactile quality, while the plexiglass bookshelf lightens the composition through transparency and reflections, creating a continuous dialogue between solids and voids.

Within the Alcantara cabinetry, a fully concealed element is also integrated: one of the doors hides an invisible access point to the chalet’s vault. The system is designed so that the back panel of the wardrobe, seemingly fixed, actually functions as a pressure-activated secret door. Through this mechanism, the safe can be accessed while maintaining a high level of security without compromising the formal clarity of the space.

A project of balance and precision

Chalet Marmottière represents an evolved synthesis of Alpine tradition, technological innovation, and artisanal culture.

Each element has been designed and crafted with an exceptionally high level of detail, where technique is never showcased but fully integrated into the form. The result is a coherent, sophisticated, and contemporary environment, in which materials, light, and proportions come together to define a unique living experience.

Chalet Marmottière represents an evolved synthesis of Alpine tradition, technological innovation, and artisanal culture.

Each element has been designed and crafted with an exceptionally high level of detail, where technique is never displayed but fully integrated into the form. The result is a coherent, sophisticated, and contemporary environment, in which materials, light, and proportions come together to define a unique living experience.