New Replacement building Kalchbühlstrasse, Zürich , 2019, 2nd prize
For the construction of a new replacement building for the Wohn- und Siedlungsgenossenschaft Zürich (wsgz) in Wollishofen, we are looking for a distinct urban figure that blends into the context without being too conformist with the existing neighbouring developments but instead conveys an independent and self-contained sense of serenity. The new building is finished with a smooth façade towards the street and interlocks with the green space via rucksack-like projections at the back. The beginning and end of the row are developed from the context, so that the southern end is designed as a pointed ‘nose’ and the northern end as a ‘head’. The building, which is mainly perceived in a longitudinal movement, is thus given two characteristic and recognisable ‘faces’ that will give the place a new identity.