Burkhalter Sumi Architekten: Ersatzneubauten Sunnige Hof - best architects 13

Burkhalter Sumi Architekten

Ersatzneubauten Sunnige Hof

best architects 13

multi-family homes

Place

Zürich

Photos

Heinz Unger

Description

The “Sunnige Court” development by architects Sauter and Dirler from 1953 is a typical example of the urban expansion of Zurich according to the 1950s ideal of the Garden City. The apartments are small by today’s standards (60 to 70 square metres). Six of the buildings were therefore demolished and replaced with six new ones featuring spacious family apartments. The consolidation of the housing took place exclusively in the rear area. The rest of the houses were gently refurbished and are occupied mainly by younger and older childless couples. Renovation of the old fabric and new construction went hand-in-hand. Like a school of fish, the chunky new volumes insert themselves amongst the existing trees. The trees in turn mediate between the buildings, guaranteeing the cohesion of the development. The balconies wrapped around the corners respond in different ways to the respective trees, creating an individual interior-exterior relationship for each apartment. An internal, zenith skylight illuminates the central staircase. The strip windows and loggias running around the corners on the shorter sides make for generously dimen-sioned living/dining rooms with panoramic views out onto the park-like grounds.