ARGE Marques Bühler: Wohntürme Allmend - best architects 14

ARGE Marques Bühler

Wohntürme Allmend

best architects 14

multi-family homes

Place

Luzern/Schweiz

Photos

Ruedi Walti

Description

The project conceives of the »allmend«, or commons, as a large open area that serves the general public for many different purposes. An open development plan was therefore proposed that would place the various building volumes within the expanse of the commons in such a way that the outdoor areas could continue to be experienced as a contiguous space. The buildings are designed with soft contours and have no sharp edges or corners. The outdoor spaces they define thus flow easily into each other and onward to the level of the commons area. The delicate lines of the architecture relate to the atmosphere of the park landscape and outdoor sports facilities. Their façades encased in gold-tone anodised aluminium profiles, the buildings enter into a dialogue with one another. The golden colour of the metal structure enhances the otherwise quite mundane look of the commons sports area and spreads a mood of glamor and festiveness that is visible from afar. From a distance, the two high-rises come into view first. Together with the sports arena and the building complex, they make for a high-impact redefinition of the commons as event location. The residential towers have a curving form developed from a square shape. This allows each apartment to be optimally oriented to the sun; corner apartments on the north side, for example, face both east and west.