Think Architecture AG

Description

The new Raiffeisen Bank in Zufikon is a modern bank building that draws its impact from how it treats familiar elements. The strict building code was not viewed as a vexation here, but rather as an opportunity to generate local added value. The simple volume with a sheltering roof and square windows set high on the facade picks up local village features and hence ensures an easily legible connection with the setting. Wall and roof as primary architectural elements are reinterpreted as means for lending enhanced quality. The resulting ambiguity creates an identity-lending, emblematic architecture. The seemingly solid brick masonry, for example, turns out when seen up close to actually be more of a diaphanous skin of great permeability and depth that is wrapped around the primary structure. The parapet area and ventilation panels of the generously dimensioned office windows are overlaid with a web-like pattern of brickwork, leading to a captivating play of light and shadow.