Urban Development Zollstrasse-Ost, Zurich

The urbanisation of the boundaries of the railway lines at Zurich main station has parallels to the cultivation of the lakeshore in the nineteenth century. Just as in the latter case harbours, quaysides and fallow marshes were transformed into promenades and squares, so the railway tracks have now become recognised as a prestigious site – centrally located, clearly visible from numerous other locations and itself profiting from the uninterrupted view over what is (next to the lake) the largest open space in the city. The rear side of the city is transformed into a frontage.

However, the development sites also have a second front side, namely that facing Zollstrasse. Whilst the area of the railway tracks is dominated by the large-scale, the side facing the street belongs to the small-scale, closely meshed perimeter-block city of the nineteenth century. Here architectural interventions are subject to tight regulations, whilst a far greater degree of autonomy is possible on the side facing the tracks. This urbanized environment calls for robust architecture. This is why the new buildings are framed and supported by sturdy brick-masonry columns. The closed wall panels are executed using prefabricated construction methods. By this means permanent and intermittent facade elements are clearly differentiated and articulated.