Schmidlin Architekten

Description

The industrial assembly hall, a building of outstanding historical significance and one of the few remaining witnesses to the former production site of the Saurer company in Arbon, is being transformed into a state-run cultural centre. Small interventions, carried out within the constraints of a limited operating budget, accompany this ongoing transformation. The first construction phase focused on basic requirements for public use: fire walls, railings, office spaces, an emergency exit. In collaboration with the neighbouring scaffolding company, a tower was created with a view of the lake through a circular opening that echoes the formal language of the brick façade. A new lift with a textile cabin lining was developed together with the textile printer who runs his workshop on the upper floor of the assembly hall, directly adjacent to the exhibition space. For the first exhibition, a plastered cube was created for video screenings that also serves as a bar. Each intervention becomes an architectural element through local collaboration. This incremental approach breaks with the classical project logic, in which the entire project is designed at once. Instead, the architectural vision emerges from continuous engagement with the building and its context. The architect assumes the role of caretaker, accompanying the site’s ongoing transformation. This allows architecture and institution to grow together – remaining coherent over time while adapting to changing needs and possibilities.