Sprössling is a minimalist architecture project located in Zürich, Switzerland, designed by Marazzi Reinhardt. The historic, park-like facility is part of the green space that surrounds the old town. The ensemble of park and villas is of great value and must not be impaired by the new building. The setting of the building takes this aspect into account: a cross-shaped floor plan extends into the garden area and interlocks with it. Courtyard-like rooms that are used in different ways are created between the existing and the new building.
Due to the structure of the building, it cannot be grasped as a total volume, but due to the materiality and structure the building remains legible as a unit. The interiors have strong visual and functional references to the exterior and are oriented towards the respective garden and courtyard areas. The link between the building and the outside space contributes significantly to the integration of the building into the garden. The building is structured on different levels: the uses of the ground floor are divided into three parts.
A parapet of different heights made of in-situ concrete indicates the respective use due to the height offset and closes the building off at the top. The upper floor of the two-storey daycare area is made of wood and is set apart from the mural, ground floor. In order to still ensure a connection, the rhythm of the wooden construction corresponds to that of the wall pillars, but it is formulated more cautiously. The missing base and the simple, directly used materials locate the new building as a building subordinate to the villas.
The pillars are made of cement stone, as is the double-shell masonry. Rough-sawn, untreated fir wood completes the upper floor. The slightly inclined tin roof differentiates the building from the representative residential buildings surrounding it. The interior is also designed with restraint. Fair-faced concrete, cement stone and wood dominate, while finishes in oak or artificial stone used in a targeted manner give the house a restrained, elegant expression.
Photography by Ladina Bischof
from leibal