Residential and commercial buildings, Aarau South railway station
Elegant Ensemble
The design of the new building near to the railway tracks makes use of the site characteristics as catalysts, even though some of them are initially unfavourable. In particular they include high noise levels, the long and narrow shape of the plot, differing degrees of public use and varying visitor flows.
The publicly used parts of the building are grouped on the ground floor and offer flexibility in use, as do the offices above. The mezzanine level represents an exciting urban solution, which offers additional spatial and functional benefits. The arcade enhances the ensemble's architectural coherence and despite the narrow plot creates a public outdoor space of high amenity value. The structural grid is designed with spans that allow the same basic module to be used for the hotel rooms as for the generously sized loft, patio and duplex apartments.
The façade composition and choice of material with prefabricated concrete units creates a harmonious overall impression and accentuates the physical presence of each volume. Seen from close to, the variety of surface textures and colours create an appearance of diversity that awakens associations with high-quality craftsmanship and endows the new development with a high identification value.
Credits
Project competition by invitation
Construction sum: approx. CHF 50 mn
Client: property department, WSB‐Bahnhof Aarau
Architect: Bob Gysin Partner BGP Architekten ETH SIA BSA
Structural engineer: WaltGalmarini, Zürich
Energy and sustainability: EK Energiekonzepte, Zürich