ARGE Oxid Architektur / Scheitlin Syfrig Architekten
Buck 40, conversion of a commercial and office building
best architects 26
renovation and addition
Place
Zurich, Switzerland
Photos
René Dürr
Description
«Reuse,
Reduce, Revaluate». Targeted architectural interventions are used to redesign
the expression, internal organisation and potential uses of the existing
building from the 1960s. The building is stripped back to its supporting
structure while an atrium is cut out of the exposed skeleton, bringing daylight
into the centre of the building. The atrium with its open office landscapes,
inner terraces and greened supporting beams extending into the airspace forms
the heart of the building and creates a shared identity across all floors. The
projections on the mezzanine floor are converted into loading docks for
commercial use. The building is divided into three parts; a three-storey structure
with a light, glazed curtain wall façade protrudes over the recessed ground
floor, while the receding attic storeys with lush green roof gardens are
staggered above. The roof gardens extend the space outwards, provide shade,
promote biodiversity, filter the air and strengthen the urban character.
Staggered back further, a wooden extension completes the volume. Additionally,
the building is optimised in terms of energy efficiency by equipping it with a
photovoltaic system and connecting it to the district heating network. The
renovation of Buck 40 demonstrates that sustainable construction is possible by
preserving, reusing, expanding and modernising exsisting structures.

