Mentha Walther Architekten

Description

The three-storey building on the banks of the Limmat was built in 1783 as the first large factory outside the city walls of Zurich and is now a listed building. The building was to be converted, redesigned and renovated. The valuable building fabric has been handled with care, taking into account the total refurbishment planned from 2030. The interventions were carefully chosen, and the modernisation of the building’s technical systems was carried out in such a way as to guarantee its operation for the next 10 years. The largest measures were carried out in the basement, where a new multi-purpose and catering hall, a catering kitchen, and new cloakrooms and WC facilities were installed. Structural changes were made in the centre of the building, where various interventions from the 1970s and 1980s were removed to create a spacious, open access zone. A lift was installed to simplify operational processes and provide wheelchair access to the floors. Apart from the renovation of the sanitary facilities, the ground floor remained largely untouched. On the upper floor, extensive demolition and remodelling work was carried out to provide three classrooms for the school and to ensure fire safety. The interplay of existing and new elements has resulted in a respectful and appropriate upgrade. The building impresses with its targeted use of resources in the area of tension between preserving what is historically valuable, upgrading what exists and creating something new.