Holzhausen Zweifel Architekten

Description

The bus station on Sihlquai in Zurich no longer met current requirements. Previous plans by the city were abandoned due to excessive costs. Because of the urgent need for action, the city then commissioned a new, design-to-cost solution for the facility. The arrangement of the new bays and parking spaces left an area in the southeast corner where a narrow, elongated building was the best fit for the geometry. This building both closes off the area and forms the starting point for the new Zurich Bus Station. Its height makes it a prominent landmark and point of orientation, remaining visible even when the station is full. The new operations building is a simple prefabricated timber structure with raw surfaces that are only partially painted or finished. The ceiling consists of dyed wood wool panels, and the floor is the visible surface of the foundation slab, additionally sealed with resin in wet areas. Pipes and cables are exposed and run directly through the structure, eliminating the need for additional cladding. The façade is made of painted three-layer panels, which can be easily repainted or, in a worst-case scenario, replaced cost-effectively. Due to the planned short lifespan of the structure, dismantling has already been factored in: all components can be easily disassembled and removed, and composite materials have been largely avoided. The metal canopy rests atop the building as a self-contained structure, bolted to the wooden box, and is supported by steel struts on brackets attached to the façade.