HISTORY & ARCHITECTURE
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Casa Navegna is considered to be the first modernist house in Minusio.
It was built in 1929 by architect Ernst Bechstein BSA. Bechstein was born in Burgdorf and started his education at the Cantonal Technical School. Later, he attended the Technical University in Munich. Casa Navegna is considered one of Bechstein's most important projects in the style of Neues Bauen.
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With the pergola, Bechstein adopted a typical architectural element of the region.
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Architect Bechstein was friends with the owner of the house: Walter Bucher from Burgdorf. Bucher was known for being a free spirit and among the German-speaking intellectuals in the Monte Verità area. He wanted a vacation home that would allow him to entertain and savor the joys of life.
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When you step inside Casa Navegna, you immediately sense the spirit in which it was built. The spacious and dreamy garden was designed in a way that ensures privacy, offering a peaceful oasis for its residents. Bucher specifically requested that the garden be designed so that it could not be looked into from the outside, giving him the luxury of sunbathing in the nude.
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Casa Navegna is a celebration of life, a testament to the desire to live fully and enjoy the pleasures of the world. Its architecture, art, and beauty are a tribute to the creative spirit and the free-thinking individuals who built such an extraordinary home.
RENOVATION
In 2004 Casa Navegna was renovated by baserga mozzetti architetti from Muralto. Their goal was to restore the house to its original state, reversing changes that had been made to it in the 1970s. However, the architects also created a clear new element with the bedroom placed on the roof. Organically shaped and covered with aluminum, the room resembles a landed UFO.
The architecture of the villa offers selected themes of modernity, such as the plastic treatment of the facades, accompanied by a traditional use of materials. Example of this connection are the pillars (pilotis) in granite from the region.
The renovation of Casa Navegna was awarded the Premio SIA Ticino (Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects) in 2007, recognizing its successful restoration and modernization.
(Photographs by Filippo Simonetti)