Glasi Quarter, Bülach , Since 2013, 1st prize

  • © Steiner AG

  • © Roman Keller

  • © Roman Keller

  • © Roman Keller

  • © Roman Keller

  • © Roman Keller

  • Glasi quarter
  • Glasi quarter
  • Glasi quarter
  • Glasi quarter
  • Glasi quarter
  • Glasi quarter

On the 42,000 m2 site of a former glass factory in Bülach Nord, 550 new apartments will be built for around 1,700 residents between 2018 and 2022, plus 27,000 m2 of commercial space. Altogether, the ensemble comprises 20 mainly 6-storey buildings, including a hotel, a retirement home, a high-rise residential building, a commercial building, and an office building. The high urban density calls for special architectural measures. The overall concept therefore focuses on the meticulous design of the urban outdoor areas. As a point of contact between the buildings, they will determine neighbourly cohesion. The urban planning concept is based on a system of radial streets that are, as with a linocut, cut out from the building mass. At various intersections, squares are created whose character is largely determined by the use of the adjoining ground floor. A lively and intact quarter is based on the balance of diversity and unity. Its unmistakable urban pattern, the “urban fingerprint”, gives the Glasi Quarter a recognisable identity. At the same time, it provides a stable framework for diversity. The special feature of the architectural design is that the individual buildings subordinate themselves to the leitmotif of the overall concept, but at the same time, develop characteristic peculiarities in their individual expression. A wide range of residential typologies opens the Glasi Quarter for different user groups - for young and old, for couples, singles, and families. Special solutions are also available, e.g. for living in old age or large shared flats for patchwork families living together. In addition, a substantial proportion of commercial use is planned. Living and working take place in the immediate vicinity and ensure a healthy mix of different uses.