camponovo baumgartner architekten

Description

The key challenge of this project was to create a building that accurately refers to the school, the surrounding open space and the quarter and that extends the axis of Rotachstrasse across the schoolyard all the way to Sihlfeld Cemetery. The triple-storey solitary building Aemtler D, which is set back from Bertastrasse, appears as a house in the Rotach quarter as well as completing the imposing school buildings by Gustav Gull. It was essential for us that the day school represents an enrichment to school life. Our central concept was therefore to build a villa: a place where children can play and relax. By deciding to build a villa, the architectural vocabulary was established. We created an atrium with wooden stairs, open spaces with alcoves and a wooden attic. The surfaces are bright and colourful. Within the new building, three separate sections divide the villa into smaller units. Through the atrium, these sections likewise refer to each other. From the outside, the building receives a playful appearance through the sections that are not in alignment with the façade and the sloping roof. As soon as the building was completed, the villa and the surrounding open space were well received and appropriated. On summer nights, the lawns and the sports field are bustling. People play ping-pong or basketball, they get together under the roof of the recreational area or meet for a barbeque. Apart from a day school, the newly built Aemtler D has become a place for everyone.