Michael Meier und Marius Hug Architekten

Description

The buildings at Zollstrasse 20/36 were constructed in 1984 for Bank Leu and once stood prominently at the edge of the railway tracks. They have now been pushed back to the second row by the new buildings on Kleine Europaallee. Following the new urban plan, the properties – which stand along the key link between the main railway station and the industrial district, and which were acquired by the Canton of Zurich in 2012 – have been refurbished to create a street-defining façade and converted into flexible office space. The 2017 competition was followed by planning, construction and occupation in 2025. Intended as a temporary relocation site for the offices of the cantonal authorities, the premises must meet high standards in terms of spatial layout and functional flexibility. The diversity of uses is correspondingly broad, and the associated building grid is correspondingly compact. This central requirement is evident in both the floor plan and the articulation of the façade. Whilst the interior spaces are arranged around a service core to allow for different zoning along the façade, the façade itself reflects the interior layout with aluminium pilaster strips. Like an elegant black dress, the balustrades are clad in Palissandro Nero. The stone is polished to a high gloss to create a horizontal balance with the pilaster strips, whilst the milled and profiled detailing lends it a playful, light and almost textile-like character.