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Limmatstrasse Apartment Building
location: Zürich, Switzerland
client: Schweizerische Bundesbahnen SBB
status: Project
project: 2019
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de

Limmatstrasse is characterized by four- to five-story perimeter blocks built at the end of the 19th century. The plot in question is bordered to the east by a commercial building from 1990 and a new replacement building clad in exposed concrete panels to the west. On the street side, the structure extends to the building line, while it makes full use of the maximum possible depth on the courtyard side, determined by building regulations and neighboring distances.

Sitting on a solid base, the compactly organized building is structured with gentle tectonic offsets and visually merges with the attic. Its over-height living spaces stand out with large openings in the façade, evoking an urban, nuanced expression. Densely organized, layered floor plans slot within its basic structure based on a grid of 3.25m. The design offers rooms with a height of almost 4 meters with an atmosphere of inner expanse, spaciousness, and urbanity, thanks to a sophisticated vertical interlocking of the living spaces.

Its exterior is characterized by a dense, mineral plaster consisting of a system of suspended panels, while ceiling soffits for the apartments and loggias feature laminated beech veneer panels. The wood-concrete ceiling composite system and the wooden pillars result in an excellent CO2 balance. The floor surfaces are cast-in hard concrete, while the visually dominant plinth level is clad with suspended concrete elements. Textile awnings provide shade.

Access on the street side is granted via two compact cores that connect the densely organized, bespoke residential units, and the courtyard is accessed on the easternmost side of the building. The sidewalk-level retail floor area is designed to be flexibly divided into four units. Two tree clusters vegetate the courtyard, while the roof terrace hosts co-living outdoor space for the resident community.

The new building boasts an excellent spatial balance, achieved through the central positioning of the cores that minimize the circulation area and enable a high proportion of primary living space. The existing buildings will be dismantled down to the outer walls of the basement floors, eliminating the need for costly excavation stabilization. The building grid simplifies timber construction and minimizes costs, combined with affordable and robust materials for the interior fittings.

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commission: Competition
program: Residential
team: Annette Spillmann, Harald Echsle, Andrea Binder, Katrin Zumbrunnen
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