COMMONALITIES ON THE ZÜRICHBERG DIPLOMA TOPIC B Chair of Architectural Behaviorology ETHZ Diploma FS20 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Commonalities on the Zürichberg 04 NEIGHBOURS Overview 08 ASVZ Sports Center 10 Home of FIFA 20 Tennis Club Fluntern 24 Forest Zürichberg 26 Fluntern Cemetery 30 Family Garden 34 Agriculture 36 Zoo Zurich 38 Scouts Club House 42 ZFV Sorell Hotel 44 Public Transport 46 Zürichberg Road 50 Water Reservoir 52 PROJECT BRIEF Perimeter 56 Example program 58 Deliverables 60 Schedule 61 SUPPLEMENTARY SUBJECTS Overview 63 Art 64 Theory of Architecture 66 Environemental System Science 68 HISTORY Historical Maps 72 SOURCES References 76 Image directory 78 2 3 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Commonalities on the Zürichberg Commonalities on the Zürichberg Between Zurichberg and Adlisberg, the thesis tasks students to bring back the ‘Com- and visualized to share the understanding of ing to an end. Individualism and publicness area around this topic’s site has been with the monalities’ of the place to Zurichberg area what kind of architectural project can con- were too relevant in the architecture of 20th city of Zurich for centuries, firstly as natural again. It is about how architectural design can tribute to the place as an ‘Actor’ to reconnect century, paying very little attention to ‘com- commons such as vine yards and forests out- help creating ‘commons,’ integrating both nat- / rearrange the existing Actor Network of re- monality.’ Now it is the time to take risks on side of the city wall. Today, ASVZ Fluntern and ural and urban elements as shared resources. sources. Then, the proposal drawings situate the way we practice architecture, with more other neighbouring modern facilities create Your project needs to enrich the relationship the architectural project in the center, and emphasis on the common, and you will find a vast neighbourhood, with the mixture of between people’s activities and resources show how that architecture could be a good a new category in the course of that practice, unique activities such as Zoo Zurich, Friedorf, around the area, including neighbors and node of the local and global ‘Actors’ (includ- which we have named ‘architectural common- Home of FIFA, as well as housings, familien- forests. At the same time, it would be a great ing human and non-human such as materials, ality.’ garten, and other institutions surrounded by opportunity to start discussing the meaning of climate, and history of the places, etc.). the forests. commons for the City of Zurich, in a contem- We have conceptualized this idea of ‘com- porary sense. In order to create the commons which monality’ as shared resources, so that anyone While some workers or visitors benefit from would benefit the area in the long term, your could be able to understand the relations multiple venues (some FIFA workers go for The Chair of Architectural Behaviorology project needs to take advantage of what is which are hidden yet full of potential in things lunch to Zoo, or people jogging across bor- have investigated how the idea of Actor Net- already there. In order to investigate the net- and behaviors. ders, for instance), many people just visit one work (by Bruno Latour) can be argued in the work, and to visualize your idea to share with venue, then go back to the city. We would like realm of architectural design. The exploration everyone, the design of Actor Network can be Please propose the architecture which fos- to amplify the potential of this area, by creat- has been about how such Actor Network of a powerful tool for you. ters new possibility of Zurichberg area. ing relationship(s) of activities and resources natural/urban resources, which consist of as a form of spatial design. both human and non-human (such as nature, Here is an excerpt from the introduction of skill, knowledge, and materiality), can be “Commonalities” by Atelier Bow-Wow. The design task is simple – to propose a drawn in the form of a territorial map and oth- public space by extending ASVZ Fluntern, or er types of architectural drawings. The exist- The individualist form of architectural prac- by a new building on the site of ASVZ Fluntern. ing Actor Network of the place is investigated tice, hailed and encouraged in late 20th centu- However, through this project, this master ry, which – according to our research – is com- 4 Commonalities on the Zürichberg - Diploma Topic B Commonalities on the Zürichberg - Diploma Topic B 5 6 7 NEIGHBORS NEIGHBORS Overview Overview ASVZ Sports Center Home of FIFA Tennis Club Fluntern Forest Zürichberg Fluntern Cemetery Family Garden Agriculture Zoo Zurich Scouts Club House ZFV Sorell Hotel Public Transport Zürichberg road Water Reservoir Img. 02: Neighbours, facilities and stakeholders around the common Fluntern (Base map ©swisstopo) 8 Commonalities on the Zürichberg - Diploma Topic B Commonalities on the Zürichberg - Diploma Topic B 9 SPORT ASVZ Sports Center Given the situation, that both the University as rooms for students to meet up, sit together of Zurich and the ETH are located in the dense and maybe having a snack are needed. The urban fabric of Zurich made it necessary to sports center should not only provide facilities find a different spot for the sports facilities in for sports and movement but is to be seen a less central part of town. Four requirements as a leisure center and a place where people for the new plot were formulated. meet up. Especially because the swiss uni- versities have an international name and are 1. Relative proximity to the universities workplace for many students from different countries, the sports facility is a unique place 2. Well connected by public transport and a to bond across cultural, national and language good road access barriers and is a place to exchange ideas be- tween different fields of study. 3. Integration in a bigger, existing green area, if possible The privileged location, high above the city demands a special sensibility to the design 4. A flat area to allow for large outdoor of the buildings and their surroundings. The sports facilities compound should be subtle in its appearance and should not diminish the overall image of The by the city provided, 42’852 m2 big area the green landscape at the place. The outdoor on the Fluntern common fulfils the require- facilities have to be placed in the existing ments perfectly. The large green area at the topography with only minimal changes to the edge of town with the adjoining forested hills terrain. The view from this frequently visited is one of the nicest places in Zurich. The area area should not be stained. allows for true recreation, connections to the nearby Dolder bath, the forest and the zoo, From the original design brief by Dr. Edy and allows for a beautiful view over the lake Rudolf Knupfer, Architect ETH SIA and the alps. (Translated and paraphrased) Because the sports center is an outpost to the two universities, additional features such Img. 03: Aerial photo of the ASVZ Sport Center Fluntern (ZHAW) 10 Commonalities on the Zürichberg - Diploma Topic B Commonalities on the Zürichberg - Diploma Topic B 11 Img. 04: Masterplan for the Sports Center Fluntern (E. R. Knuper, 1960) 12 Commonalities on the Zürichberg - Diploma Topic B Commonalities on the Zürichberg - Diploma Topic B 13 Img. 05: Masterplan for the Sports Center Fluntern (E. Jenny, H. Hugi) 14 Commonalities on the Zürichberg - Diploma Topic B Commonalities on the Zürichberg - Diploma Topic B 15 Img. 06: Masterplan for the Renovation of the Sports Center Fluntern (GfA GmbH) 16 Commonalities on the Zürichberg - Diploma Topic B Commonalities on the Zürichberg - Diploma Topic B 17 SPORT SPORT ASVZ Sports Center ASVZ Sports Center Img. 07: Renovation of the ground floor (GfA GmbH) Img. 08: Renovation of the upper floor (GfA GmbH) 18 Commonalities on the Zürichberg - Diploma Topic B Commonalities on the Zürichberg - Diploma Topic B 19 SPORT Home of FIFA Behind the site of the Zurich Academic American walnut, aluminium and stainless Sports Association (ASVZ) opposite the Flun- steel are used as wall cladding. The floor is tern cemetery, Credit Suisse used to have its covered in Lapislazuli. own sports ground with tennis courts, football pitches and a covered swimming pool. FIFA Anchoring, transparency and light are the acquired this 44,000 m2 site in 2003 to set up fundamental architectural ideas behind this an operations centre for the football associ- Home of FIFA. Strips of lighting line both the ation’s 200 employees. The headquarters on corridors and the stairways clad in Brazilian the Sonnenberg had become too small and quartz shale (integrated into the glazed hand- the workforce had to be accommodated in five rails). Light is also dominant in the lifts. additional properties. In addition to its excel- lent location on the Zürichberg (surrounded The offices are furnished so that all the em- by greenery), the good transport connections ployees have a window seat and can benefit on offer also influenced FIFA’s decision to pur- from maximum daylight at any time. All of the chase this site. The terminus for tram line 6 is meeting and conference rooms at the top of located just a few minutes’ walk away. Zurich the Home of FIFA also receive daylight. airport is also no more than 30 minutes away. The building is surrounded by six different, The FIFA headquarters were designed by park-like areas, designed by the landscape de- architect Tilla Theus. The building, with its sign office Vogt Landschaftsarchitekten. The metal net façade does not make a big impres- six green areas with their different vegetation sion at first glance. But the building size and symbolise the six continents Europa, Asia, the selected materials speak of luxury.