Architects: BXB studio
Area: 327 m²
Year: 2018–2024
Photography: Rafał Barnaś, Piotr Krajewski
Lead Architects: Bogusław Barnaś
Architects Team: Magdalena Fuchs, Łucja Janik, Justyna Duszyńska-Krawczyk, Urszula Furmanik, Bartłomiej Mierczak, Yousra Bouras, Mateusz Zima, Michał Kiercz, Jakub Dunal, Edyta Ptasznik
Roofing Manufacturer: ZM Silesia
Manufacturer of Perforated Facade Panels: Equitone
Window Architecture: Multiko
Film Production: Unique Vision Studio (Rafał Barnaś)
Graphic Design: BXB studio
City/Location: Kościelisko
Country: Poland

The House with a Private Giewont Mountain occupies a scenic site in Kościelisko, where BXB studio reinterprets the traditional architecture of the Podhale region through contemporary craft and environmental sensitivity. The project draws heavily from the rugged character of the Tatra Mountains, using a restrained palette of metal, wood, and stone to merge the house with its alpine surroundings. Its distinctive openwork façade panels, developed in collaboration with Equitone, lend the building a dynamic presence as they slide open or close to modulate privacy, security, and natural light. At night, the illuminated structure takes on a lantern-like appearance. Inside, a sculptural circulation spine links all levels and culminates with a bridge leading to an outdoor viewing platform aligned to the Giewont peak. The landscape design reinforces the architectural narrative by employing local rocks, low-growing pines, and a stone path reminiscent of regional hiking trails. The house frames views of the mountains while embedding the symbolic experience of a summit ascent into its spatial sequence, anchoring the building in both place and cultural memory.

The house with a private giewont mountain / bxb studio

Rather than simply capturing a mountain view, BXB studio set out to create a home in which the experience of ascending toward the Giewont peak defines the architectural concept. This ambition materializes in a vertical spatial sequence that moves through four levels, gradually revealing framed perspectives and culminating in a viewing platform aligned with the mountain’s silhouette. The studio reinterprets the traditional forms of Podhale’s wooden shepherd huts, drawing from their modest proportions while infusing contemporary precision and craftsmanship. The result is a compact yet expressive form that visually resonates with the region’s alpine vernacular.

The exterior’s titanium-zinc roof and custom perforated panels establish an architectural language tied closely to the Tatra landscape. Their tonal resemblance to grey rock and snowy peaks reflects the surrounding terrain. The façade’s mobility adds another layer of meaning: when fully closed, the house encloses itself within its smallest possible perimeter, functioning as both shelter and boundary. Once opened, the panels reveal a porous envelope that softens the transition between interior and mountain scenery. After dusk, the lighting integrated within the arcaded structure causes the building to glow subtly, reinforcing its presence as a lantern within the valley.

The design extends into the landscape with a similarly contextual approach. Low-maintenance plantings of mountain pines and carefully placed stones allow the garden to blend seamlessly with the natural terrain. The path, composed of stone slabs reminiscent of Tatra hiking routes, encourages an approach to the house that echoes the architectural narrative of ascent. The absence of a traditional fence further emphasizes the integration of building, garden, and topography.

Inside, the circulation spine is treated as a sculptural element, beginning dramatically above a glazed ceiling that allows the garage floor to participate in the visual sequence. The black steel structure rises through the house, consistently visible from adjacent rooms, establishing a sense of continuity and orientation. The living space, positioned on the upper level, opens toward the mountain through a fully glazed gable wall that frames Giewont as if it were part of the interior composition. This elevated placement heightens the sense of retreat while ensuring that the landscape remains central to daily life.

The spatial narrative reaches its peak with the suspended steel bridge that hovers above the living room. Its gradual transformation from steel railing to full glazing reinforces the movement toward openness as it extends outdoors to the viewing platform just below the roof ridge. Three thin steel cables support the structure, lending a near-weightless quality that deepens the sense of exposure to the landscape. From this point, the house forms a direct and intimate connection to the region’s iconic mountain, fulfilling the project’s central idea.

BXB studio’s design synthesizes tradition, craft, and contemporary innovation into a cohesive architectural statement. The project anchors itself not only in the physical landscape but also in the cultural symbolism of the mountain trail, shaping a home where spatial experience and natural context are inseparable.