Seniorenzentrum Bubenholz, Opfikon, 2007—2015, Competition 1st Prize

Spatial figure

The buildings’ constellation forms a courtyard garden area at the heart of the grounds, which is framed on three sides and enjoys ideal sunlight conditions. A recumbent volume with nursing rooms runs along Müllackerstrasse, referencing to the eaves height of the surrounding developments. It is contrasted by the vertical residential tower with small apartments for the elderly.


The buildings’ folded developments create fine interruptions and structuring, thereby adapting the facility more harmoniously to the scale of the location. The integration of the orthogonal rooms into the polygonal floor plan creates an interior with differentiated spaces that open out towards the façade, where people can meet and relax.


The floors are staggered to bind the differentiated buildings together, while bands give the volumes their definitive expression. The reminiscence of a “moderate Modernity” produces a sensible combination of suburban location, volumetric structuring and assorted utilisation.

Address

Müllackerstrasse 2/4, 8152 Opfikon

Client

Tertianum AG, Zürich

Commission

Centre for the elderly

Procedure

Competition 2007, 1. Prize

Planning period

2007–2015

Photography

Walter Mair

Team

Patric Barben, Matthias Bircher, Patrick Ernst, Marco Fitze, Lorenzo Giuliani, Christian Hönger, Prisca Lieberherr, Damir Trakic, Andreas Treier, Tobias Ziegler