Architects: Frei + Saarinen Architekten Location: Zurich, Switzerland Design Team: Barbara Frei, Martin Saarinen; Nicolaj Bechtel, Stefan Wülser, Corina Trunz, David Winzeler, Bastien Turpin Client: Roman-Catholic Church Zurich Build Area: 1,200 m2 Usable Area Finishing Material: Floor / Wall / Ceiling Floor: Brushed, Coloured and Sealed Parquet (Oak) Completion: 2010 Photographs: Hannes Henz & Frei + Saarinen Architekten
Frei + Saarinen Architekten shared with us their design to convert a 100-years-old Parish Centre in Zurich and implant a new wooden lobby with a unique atmosphere that is generated by a clash of trendy facetted geometries and an old fashioned way of detailing. The geometry of the new lobby is the consequence of stretching the formerly enclosed space towards the facades and respecting the given bearing structure. As a new rooflight accentuates the entrance to the hall, this vertical element also slows down the dynamic character of the lobby. Aditionally, a new apartment for the priest was designed at the top level.
