Location | Lagerstraße 2, CH-8090 Zürich (Baufeld A) |
Client | SBB Schweizerische Bundesbahnen, Baudirektion Kanton Zürich |
Building period | 2009–2012 |
Volume | GFA 54.300m² |
Procedure | commissioned studiy 2006, 1st prize |
The new Europaallee urban district is taking shape right next to Zurich Main Station, on conversion sites owned by SBB and the Swiss Postal Service. It offers space for 6,000 employees, 1,800 students, 400 flats, a hotel, shops, restaurants and cafés as well as other leisure activities. Max Dudler’s urban design plan for the trapezoidal section adjacent to the elegant Alte Sihlpost building (Bräm brothers, 1929) encompasses Construction Sites A and C.
On Construction Site A, the Pädagogische Hochschule Zürich (Zurich University of Teacher Education/PHZH) comprises a tripartite ensemble of buildings complemented by office and retail space. Generously proportioned steps provide access to the central campus, which is set somewhat higher than the rest of the site. The square links the glazed main building with the southern building, which houses seminar rooms and a day-care centre, and with the western building, which accommodates workshops, music rooms and two sports halls on the upper floors. A commercial building is situated on the northern side of the piazza. A shopping mall positioned under the PHZH affords step-free access to the train station. The simple elegance of masonry serves as a paradigm for the facades throughout the ensemble. Deep shadow gaps separate the large-format facade elements in glass and Trosselfels limestone. Projections and recesses in some segments ensure that the facades exude a sense of three-dimensional texture, yet are simultaneously calm and harmonious.