Prof. Dietmar Eberle
Chair of Architecture and Design
Spring Semester 2018, Fourth Bachelor Semester
The building structure is made up of block edges with courtyard buildings, terraced buildings, individual houses, and large buildings mainly located along the Limmat. There are mainly educational institutions, such as vocational schools, and public spaces, like a museum and community centers, in the immediate area. Housing is primarily found in the block edges and individual houses in the former workers‘ quarters, surrounded by green spaces and parks. The Klingpark is located next to the site, and there are more natural areas to the southeast along the Limmat.
The Volkshaus project is divided into two volumes. A smaller one with an area of 2,236 m2 located northwest of Ackerstrasse, and a larger one with 3,774 m2 situated northeast of the Klingpark. Between the two buildings is an open space that can be used as a connection, public square, recreation area, passageway, or play area. The Klingpark is adjacent to the Volkshaus and has been expanded beyond its former boundary to connect to the former Abbey of St. John. The park now directly adjoins the Volkshaus, creating a clear conclusion.
The small volume contains small-scale spaces and is divided into two L-shaped brackets around the cores, which house hotel rooms and related areas. An atrium is located between the cores and offsets from floor to floor. The large volume is made up of floor plans arranged in layers. The large, prominent cores running through the building contain access, ancillary rooms, and restrooms and divide the interior transition zone with inscribed atriums from the outer layers of space. These outer layers contain conference rooms, halls, a library, an auditorium, and associated ancillary rooms such as cloakrooms and work/learning rooms. The central section serves as the building’s main entrance and the middle section acts as an access/conversion area or foyer. The top floor, located on the fifth floor, includes northwest office space and a restaurant with a bar facing the Klingpark, providing views of the park’s treetops.
The access/foyer zone is filled with storey-high beams and has toplights that provide natural light to the entire central area. Both buildings use column-and-slab construction, with a 6.00 meter column grid supporting the ceilings and determining the size of the rooms. Beams are used in rooms without columns. The central section is constructed with cantilevers hanging from the solid cores. The columns and ceilings are made of in-situ concrete, and the façade is made of prefabricated concrete elements in the shape of a «T.» These elements are covered with curtains after the windows, shading, and insulation have been installed, creating a three-level façade with floor-to-ceiling windows that let in plenty of light.
