Reuse- Zentralwascherei Zurich

Atelier Philip Esch | Academy project with Arch. Morgane Moutarlier

The Zentralwascherei Zurich it is located in the center of the industrial district of the city of Zurich (CH).
In none place of the city the change is more dynamic than that here. A bulky building, not beautiful, but certainly impressive, consisting of a large shed, two wings of offices and large catacombs.
Before that the building will be demolished in a few years, here it is a variegated society has been established: improvised gyms, artists studios, coworking space, coffee, typography, bicycle workshop.
The attention of the project is placed on the overlap of different users and activities, not necessarily compatible but in the general idea of reactivating the industrial complex to donate new spaces to the city of Zurich.
Our interest will be placed on the strategy of placing, in a different but capillary way, different spaces and activities, trying to work in dialogue with the existing structure, alongside it or replacing it where necessary.
In this way the structural and spatial constraints of the existing building paradoxically open up new solutions for us, taking advantage of the large spaces and the different internal heights it is therefore possible for us to think about different internal settings and on a space that is as changeable as possible.