Schärli Architekten

Description

Located in »Central Park«, in the middle of the Tribschen neighbourhood in Lucerne’s city centre, the building is divided into a two-storey base for commercial use and three apartment houses above. Two of these houses from the 1970s were modernised and brought up to today’s standard for senior and disabled living. For structural engineering reasons, the existing cross-wall construction could not be altered significantly. All rooms as well as non-load bearing walls and fixtures within this structure were dismantled and replaced with new components, creating a new layout. The living space was extended by adding balcony layers arranged on both longitudinal sides of the building. Each apartment now has a winter garden and a two-storey loggia. The alternating arrangement of the loggias leads to outdoor areas of either one or two storeys, creating an intriguing façade that changes its appearance depending on the fall of light. Different degrees of transparency in the loggias and winter gardens allow for sightlines between residents without disturbing privacy.