Raphaël Nussbaumer Architectes

Description

The extension atop a 1950s apartment house fills out the irregular contours of the perimeter block development and offered an opportunity to give a mundane modernist building a second life. The three added storeys accommodate interlocking rooms and apartment types that allow for flexible use. The modest layouts of the existing apartments on the lower floors were improved by adding another space that mediates between inside and outside. A layer of glazed balconies was thus raised over the entire courtyard façade. Creating continuity between the heritage building and its extension was given central importance here. The skin was thus given a uniform texture and colour scheme. On the street front, an intervention by a contemporary artist accentuates the window grid, while the courtyard side with its winter gardens is enlivened by a subtle play of hues.