BS+EMI Architektenpartner
Residential complex on Toblerstrasse
best architects 19
multi-family homes
Place
Zurich / Switzerland
Studio
Photos
Roland Bernath
Description
The urban neighbourhood is dominated by stately «detached houses in gardens» with entrances on the street. On this basis, 13 compact solitary buildings were realised, which, despite a higher density, echo the typology and mood of the built surroundings. The buildings have a triangular layout, creating cabinet-like outdoor spaces inside the complex. By rotating and mirroring the same building types, a repetitive impression was avoided. The result is instead a composition of different volumes that relate to one another organically. Their size is downplayed by the handling of the façades, thus achieving a formal equilibrium between the building volumes and the outdoor area. The apartments are laid out as a continuous series of spaces grouped around a core with bathroom, toilet and a kitchen that opens to the living room. The avoidance of corridors creates spacious living spaces that can be flexibly furnished as well as generous entrance areas. Thanks to the range of circulation possibilities, the flats feel spacious despite their compact size.
Although the apartment buildings fit in with the homogeneous look of the district, the complex still asserts its own identity. Existing motifs are taken up but are condensed here into a new and independent expression. At the same time, the urban theme of detached houses is reflected and refined with the cabinet-like garden spaces.