The Welti-Furrer Area in Zürich-West is part of a former industrial site that is currently being transformed into a modern city quarter. Urban planning considerations were central to the design for the commercial building “Prime 2” on the Pfingstweidstrasse. The establishment of a freestanding courtyard house, accessible from all sides, as part of a row of densely built solitaires, is a conscious contribution to the idea of public spaces and the creation of a metropolitan atmosphere. Like an island, the building is lapped by a continuum of lively open spaces. The combination of stone and large glass surfaces gives the building a sturdy and metropolitan character. As a result of the dark monolithic and morticed natural stone, the structure appears as if from one cast, thus attaining a special significance. The recessed windows and deep stone embrasures give a strong plasticity to the façade, in which the windows seem “hollowed out of stone”. The elevated ground floor, accentuated by varied styles of entrance, clearly divides the publicly accessible space from the areas above, which are suitable as offices or apartments, as a result of the neutral shaping of the building. Continue reading Max Dudler
