Temporary structure realised in Zurich: House 2 / Counter City

A temporary architectural installation constructed out of wood has taken its place under a concrete bridge at Zurich's Toni Areal complex. The conceptual work on the project stems from ALICE Studio, an architecture lab headed by Dieter Dietz at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. The elegant structure was erected in less than ten days, whereby about 200 first-semester students were involved in the production of the pre-fabricated components and then assembling them on site.

As the structure is to act as a forum for differing public events, the objective was not to achieve a cohesive, completed design but to bring together various ideas – great significance being accorded to the concept of collectivity. The project initiators see the educational task in emphasizing the interplay of physical and social factors. House 2 is set in symbolic relation with the city; it is a place in which active urban participation will be able to come about.

A series of events has been devised by Alice Studio in close collaboration with Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) to transform the installation into a forum enabling active exchange and discussion for a brief while.  The next station for House 2/Counter City is Lausanne, where the temporary structure will be set up in new form this summer.