Luis Laplace on Designing Hauser & Wirth Galleries: From St. Moritz to Somerset
Architect Luis Laplace, a trusted designer for the Hauser & Wirth family, discusses his approach to creating gallery spaces that balance art, architecture, and context. Laplace first met collector Ursula Hauser while working on her Mallorca residence with Selldorf Architects, later collaborating with Iwan and Manuela Wirth on private projects before designing their galleries. For Hauser & Wirth St. Moritz, inaugurated in December 2018 and directed by Stefano Rabolli Pansera, Laplace transformed a former commercial space into a gallery that responds to the strong Alpine context—mountains, light, and snow—using clean finishes and adjusting circulation. The top floor offers a more intimate, residential feel inspired by Le Vieux Chalet in Gstaad. In Somerset, Laplace preserved existing farm buildings and added new structures with compatible materials, emphasizing community engagement through educational spaces and the Roth Bar & Grill. He also worked on the reopening of Chillida Leku in San Sebastián, focusing on Eduardo Chillida's artistic DNA by using dark metal and simple forms. Laplace advocates moving beyond the white cube, integrating furniture, color, and materials to enhance art display. Hauser & Wirth now operates three Swiss venues and nine international locations, managing artist estates from Manzoni to Chillida.
Key facts
- Luis Laplace is a French architect and partner at his eponymous studio with Christophe Comoy, trained at Selldorf Architects.
- He first worked with Ursula Hauser on her Mallorca residence about 20 years ago.
- Hauser & Wirth St. Moritz opened in December 2018, directed by Stefano Rabolli Pansera.
- The St. Moritz gallery is located in a former commercial space in a strategic position.
- Laplace used clean finishes to handle abundant Alpine light and reorganized internal circulation.
- The top floor of St. Moritz has a residential feel inspired by Le Vieux Chalet in Gstaad.
- In Somerset, Laplace preserved existing farm buildings and added new structures with thin brick roofs.
- The Somerset project included educational spaces and the Roth Bar & Grill for community use.
- Laplace designed the reopening of Chillida Leku in San Sebastián, using dark metal and simple forms to reflect Eduardo Chillida's work.
- Hauser & Wirth manages estates of artists including Manzoni, Melotti, Gorky, Dieter Roth, and Chillida.
- Iwan Wirth started his career at age 17 with an exhibition at Hotel Carlton in St. Moritz featuring Spoerri, Le Corbusier, and Chagall.
- Hauser & Wirth was founded in 1992 in Zurich by Iwan Wirth, Ursula Hauser, and Manuela Hauser.
- Marc Payot joined as partner and vice president in 2000.
- The gallery has 12 locations worldwide including Hong Kong, London, New York, and Los Angeles.
Entities
Artists
- Daniel Spoerri
- Le Corbusier
- Marc Chagall
- Alberto Giacometti
- Giovanni Segantini
- Friedrich Nietzsche
- Gerard Richter
- Joseph Beuys
- Piero Manzoni
- Fausto Melotti
- Ashile Gorky
- Dieter Roth
- Eduardo Chillida
- Alexander Calder
Institutions
- Hauser & Wirth
- Selldorf Architects
- Hotel Carlton
- Artribune
- miart
- Roth Bar & Grill
- Chillida Leku
Locations
- St. Moritz
- Switzerland
- Zurich
- Engadine Valley
- Mallorca
- Spain
- Somerset
- Bruton
- Gstaad
- San Sebastián
- Hong Kong
- London
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Italy