Equiliber - new entry into parliament

The councilor of the city of Chur, Johannes Ludwig (1815-88), gradually worked his way up to become a master builder and one of the busiest architects of his time. He was also the author of the armory (1861-63), which today serves as the seat of the local parliament. In late 2007, a solicited competition was held, in which proposal number 4 titled “Equiliber" won. The authors of the sculpturally designed ramp, pillars, and shelter made of white concrete were the married couple Tamara and Valerio Olgiati. The new entrance to the parliament addresses access for people with disabilities. While other projects placed wheelchair access separately next to the staircase using a platform or ramp, Olgiati chose a single access route for both able-bodied and disabled individuals. Everyone entering the parliament must go through the same path. As is typical with Olgiati, sculptural equilibristics also played a primary role. In this case, in front of the neo-Renaissance façade, a ninety-ton shelter balances on an unstable leg secured by a hidden rod.
Despite being a relatively small project with a budget of 670,000 Swiss francs, Olgiati demonstrated not only his sensitivity to composition but also an unyielding desire for quality work. When casting the white concrete, he complained about small cavities, chipped edges, uneven coloration, and also dimensional deviations of up to 4 cm. For the work done, Olgiati wanted to take the construction company to court. Everything was resolved with a new pouring of the access ramp, repair of edges, and the application of a new coat.