GFA Gruppe für Architektur

Description

The TAS building, part of the animal hospital of the University of Zurich, was constructed in 1886 by Gottfried Semper’s student Otto Weber as a cantonal smallpox hospital on the outskirts of the city. The conversion of the south wing into offices and a skills lab provided an opportunity to restore the original qualities of the classical hospital building with its central projecting bay and wards on both sides. The beautifully proportioned and well-lit hall in the south wing was made tangible again in its overall spatial expression and was divided by three floor-to-ceiling fixtures that accommodate the requested private offices and a meeting room. These built-in units are partially glazed wood-frame structures with colourfully painted fillings and transom windows that correspond to the wall structure and the window divisions of the overall space. The new room setting creates transparent views through the space and lends the interior a specific character that is reminiscent of the original hospital ward. A skills lab for veterinary medicine students was set up on the basement floor. With dark wall panels and robust flooring made of cast basalt, it was possible to meet the requirements of laboratory use while giving the formerly bleak basement an independent character.