ARGE Oxid Architektur / Scheitlin Syfrig Architekten: Buck 40, conversion of a commercial and office building - best architects 26

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.