Housing Greencity, Building Plot A1 / EM2N

Pilar Caballero

7 years ago

Architects: EM2N
Location: Allmendstrasse 147–157, CH-8041 Zurich, Switzerland
Partner: Mathias Müller, Daniel Niggli
Associate: Christof Zollinger (Project execution), Fabian Hörmann (competition)
Project Leaders: Martin Broder, Ines Schmid, Martin Schriener
Project Team: Onur Akin, Duarte Brito, Pascal Dechenaux, Oke Hauser, Fabian Kleine, Bernard Radi, Sabine Ricken, Hugo Torre, Jorrit Verduin, Caroline Vogel, Winfried Schneider
Area: 14950.0 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Damian Poffet

Construction An Project Management: Losinger Marrazi AG, Zurich
Construction Consulting / Construction Economics: Losinger Marrazi AG, Zurich
Civil Engineer: Wismer + Partner AG, Rotkreuz
Planning Heating / Ventilation / Sanitary: Amstein + Walthert AG, Zurich
Building Services: Amstein + Walthert AG, Zurich
Electrical Services Planning: Schmidiger + Rosasco AG, Zurich
Fire Protection Planner: Wälchli Architekten Partner AG, Bern
Geologist / Geotechnics: Dr. Heinrich Jäckli AG, Zurich
Specialist Vibration: FEAG Facility Engineering AG, Dietlikon
Traffic Planning: IBV Hüsler AG, Zurich
Landscape Architecture (Surrounding Area): Vogt Landschaftsarchitekten AG, Zurich
Landscape Architecture (Roof Terrace, Courtyard): Balliana Schubert Landschaftsarchitekten AG, Zurich
Light Concept (Surrounding Area): Reflexion AG, Zurich
Signage (Surrounding Area): Formpol AG, Zurich
Signage (Building): EM2N, Caroline Vogel, Zurich

Text description provided by the architects. The elongated plot A forms the start to the new urban district ‘Greencity’ and is strongly influenced by the neighbouring street and railway. We used this essentially ʻimpossible situationʼ as the impulse to develop a narrow, elongated building with an expressive character that can develop a sense of identity.

The unique geometry of the site leads to mostly east-west facing apartments which are all connected by means of a ʻstreet in the airʼ to the communal room and the shared roof garden. The building is massively constructed using a wall and slab system. The motif of interwoven vertical and horizontal bands produces depth and a feeling of volume. In combination with windows of different sizes this leads to a facade composition that is richly varied, yet also calm.

The ground floor is used for commercial functions. It takes up the robust nature of the street and the railway line and is made as a concrete plinth. The passageways leading through the building and the entrances located in them are announced by metal framing. The communal space and the ‘street in the air’ can be read in the façade through their generously sized window openings.

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