ASTOC - Architects and Planners

CH-Winterthur Archareal

The area under study is found in a central location between Winterthur’s main train station and the Heiligberg, and hence in the field of tension set between the old town and the Sulzer Quarter, currently in a state of rapid development. Characterizing the site from the perspective of transport is its highly advantageous location. Whether with regard to public or private transport opportunities, a more accessible location within the town of Winterthur would be difficult to find. Currently located on the site are a parking garage and the old Volkshaus (People's Building), neither of which are worthy of preservation (neither building receives further consideration in the present study).

The design provides for the maximum constructive envelope consistent with building regulations. The building’s volume, given maximal height and shaped by means of by the roof pitches along the adjacent streets (Meisenstraße and Archstraße), is transected from north to south by two “chasms”, resulting in three elongated elements. Up to one half of their heights, these chasms consist of glazed passages containing foyers and access spaces, with entries towards the train station and Lagerhausstraße. The forms of the building’s elements generate an animated roofscape that provides permanent, varied views between Bahnhofplatz and the Heiligberg while subtly alluding to the scale of the inner-city.