EM2N

Description

Situations that are excessively pre-determined can lead to interesting projects, when it proves possible to exploit the difficult circumstances so as to hone the particular project and to find specific, tailored solutions. A total of 15 privately owned apartments were to be built at a topographically interesting location in Zurich–Wollishofen. For economic reasons it was important to maximise the gross total floor area. To integrate the volume in urban planning terms and to satisfy the regulations regarding distances to other buildings the new apartment house was given a dumbbell-like form. The circulation leads right through the building volume and thus accesses the entire plot. The entrance to the building at the narrowest point, in the centre, is a ravine-like outdoor space that frames the view of Lake Zurich. The steeply sloping site led to stepping the building and layering it almost like a geological cross-section. The individuality of the apartments with their different geometries and orientations is additionally underlined by the balconies attached to the building.