Description

Access:

Vertical point access, three units per floor; interior stairwell; stairwell lit by skylight; direct access to exterior from elevator.

Interior space:

The apartments of the freestanding tower are arranged at angles and open to two or three sides. Corridors or halls lead to cell-like individual and living spaces. All of the kitchens have natural light and ventilation, while the bathrooms and toilets are located in the interior of the volume. Because the thermal shell of the building is rotated slightly out of the ninety-degree angle in the corners, the balustrade areas expand slightly at the living spaces and makes it possible to use them as balconies.

Exterior space:

Continuous balustrade of various depths has greenery on the facade that contributes to the design and creates space.

Morphology:

The design of the building enters into a dialogue with the surrounding stone buildings, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the green shell of bamboo plants contrasts with the hard urban surfaces of the neighborhood. The bands of the balustrade project unequally and form a separate spatial stratum around the concrete-clad volume, like a kind of vertical garden. Thus the appearance of the building changes with the time of day and the season, like a chameleon’s skin. The large planters of bright concrete lend the facade additional rhythm and a distinctive character.

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Originally published in: Peter Ebner, Eva Herrmann, Roman Höllbacher, Markus Kuntscher, Ulrike Wietzorrek, Typology +: Innovative Residential Architecture, Birkhäuser, 2009.