The urban integration plays an important role in our design of the new building and the reorganization of the whole complex of buildings.
Three main gestures or “cuts” in the volume give the building its distinctive shape. The incisions are made so that the entrance, the driveway and the roof terrace can be formed. The cuts thus combine function and design. They create a clear street level entrance as well as a viewing point in the roof towards the beautiful view over the city and lake. The layered facade with external sun protection increases the urban presence of the building. The building presents itself conscious, without seeming to loud or strange. Here the exchange between higher education and residential district is subtly staged and follows an urban scale adapted to it’s surroundings.
In the internal organization of the new building, we have given importance to combine rationality and flexibility with architectural and spatial quality.
The unusual shape of the plot requires some thought and rationality. The new building is therefore in principle formed by the merge of two volumes: the bar and the main building. The triangular atrium connects the two volumes and helps to create a clear junction of program as well as bring light into the entire main building.
| Project | Institute | Budget | Confidential | Type | Invited Competition |
| Size | 10.500 m2 | Client | ETH Zurich Immobilien | Status | Settled 2010 |
| Location | Switzerland, Zurich | Team | JDS | ||
| Creative Authorship | Julien De Smedt | Project Leader | Francisco Villeda, Henning Stüben, Sandra Fleischmann | Project Team |
Reveal list ▿ Andrew Griffin, Edna Luddecke, Jonathan Houser, Kristoffer Harling, Priscilla Girelli, Wouter Dons |