05/29/2026
— Today we’re in Wermatswil, Switzerland, at the Ridi & Otto Kolb House, designed by architect Otto Kolb for himself and his family.
Born in Switzerland in 1921, Kolb began as a bricklaying apprentice before studying architecture and joining progressive avant-garde circles that included Le Corbusier, Max Bill, and Mies van der Rohe. In 1947, he was invited to teach at the Institute of Design in Chicago, emigrating to the USA at 27.
During the 1960s, Kolb focused on furniture design and family homes. In 1965, he invented a standardized spiral staircase that he patented and manufactured, making a living marketing them. From 1980 to 1982, after a prolific career on both sides of the Atlantic, Kolb built his own family home with his workers during quiet production phases, using leftover staircase elements.
The circular house is a complete recycling product and a total work of art—Kolb designed the architecture, built-in furniture, freestanding furniture, and lighting as one integrated vision. Stones came from site excavation, metal from factory waste. At the center sits a water cistern filled from roof collectors. Wall panels function as wall heating. Water runs through the fireplace grate to back up heating. A semi-circular outdoor pool reflects sunlight into the house.
In the main living area, small ponds surround a pillar-like fireplace with one of Kolb’s signature staircases spiraling upward. Rooms branch off different levels creating open, interconnected space. The living room and kitchen are separated by thin plywood partitions, with the sunken lounge surrounded by water.
Otto Kolb died in 1996. His wife Ridi lived in the family home until her death in spring 2022. In 2012, the house was classified as a protected building of regional importance. The building is currently uninhabited. “What will happen to it is still up in the air,” says Claudia. “But one thing is clear: it will be preserved.”
Sources: World of Interiors, Zalaba Design
