In recent years, the Guggach site in the north of Zurich became a laboratory for urban redensification. Directly across the eight storey radio studio from the 1970s designed by Max Bill, a permeable ensemble consisting of housing association buildings, commercial areas, a public park, and a primary school was developed. The planning is based on a competition advertised in 2018. The architectural offices of Weyell Zipse from Basel and Donet Schäfer Reimer from Zurich, in cooperation with the Berlinbased landscape planners of Atelier Loidl, won the competition.
The three storey school complex designed by Christian Weyell and Kai Zipse closes the northeastern border of the site
along the heavily frequented Wehntalerstrasse. The monochrome facade consisting of circumferential, room-height window strips and corrugated sheet aluminium displays a correspondingly robust appearance. Bordering the neighbourhood park, the building offers a surprising and generous gesture: Flanked by two lateral wings, the designers created an atrium measuring roughly 17 × 23 m that can respond flexibly to seasons and weather conditions. This option is provided by manually operated sliding gates that connect the full height of the space with the exterior.
In warmer seasons, the hall remains open around the clock. In winter, it is closed. Integrated door leaves and window sashes provide flexibly adaptable ventilation scenarios. The glass roof – a type of structure adopted from greenhouse construction – can be opened as well. Translucent fabric sun protection offers shade as required. This results in an indeterminate space that oscillates between interior and exterior and something in between. Functions are equally indeterminate: They range from open air classroom to break area and play zone, permitting users to redefine the space again and again.
Originally, the atrium was planned as an open interior courtyard. This is why it was neither included in the functional
program nor the budget. By use of standard products and omitting all requirements for insulation and heating, the planners were able to realise it in a comparatively inexpensive manner. The common budget range for school buildings was maintained and the high standards of the Minergie-P-Eco energy designation were achieved by strongly focussing financial resources in the remainder of the building. As a result, the facade consists of unfinished corrugated sheet metal typical of industrial construction. The lime-sandstone of the interior walls remains unrendered. The building services are visibly exposed. The frame construction was designed to minimise material consumption while ensuring long-term flexibility of use. The underground double sports hall was a particular challenge in terms of structural engineering. It reaches three storeys below grade. Due to its limited loadbearing capacity, the floors above needed to be planned as lightweight as possible. Their construction consists of prefabricated concrete elements with a large share of recycled aggregate. Ceilings consist of hollow core concrete slabs above the classroom tract and a composite reinforced concrete and corrugated sheet metal system above the atrium. All loadbearing components remain unclad and feature wind bracing.
In the interiors, multipurpose and group rooms with folding walls, school cluster circulation zones that permit freely placing furniture, and custom-made wooden wardrobes expand the range of available spaces. The tight budget inspired some further unconventional solutions. In order to remain flexible and retrofit the electrical system, the prefabricated concrete columns received partial penetrations and were equipped with orange mounting plates. In the classrooms, slat ceilings consisting of three layer panels and black foam absorb and dampen noise. The underside of the hollow core slabs is adorned with a rhythmic design reminiscent of a keyboard. A playful pragmatism characterises the architectural approach: Weyell Zipse transform simple and cost efficient solutions into robust spatial structures, creating a vivid place for education and encounter.
