Borderline(s) Investigations
Altstetten, Switzerland
Prof. Alexandre Theriot – FS21
2. Semester MSc
ETHZ
The city is becoming more and more homogenous. Everything that makes noise and dirt is progressively displaced and made invisible through gentrification processes. Even the increasingly curated public spaces leave little room for appropriation.
The VBZ Zentralwerkstatt in Altstetten is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the public transport system in the city. Besides the different workshops in the ground floor, the two empty parking decks on the roof offer a unique space in the city. Especially in an environment where people are already used to dealing with noise, the Zentralwerkstatt offers the ideal location for an unrestricted public space. A place set apart from the directly visible street level.
Therefore we propose to reinvent the ZW as a desire making machine. Able to permanently act, change, adapt throught space and time. Offering space for a wide variety of uses through different devices of infrastructure. New stairs and an escalator make the roof accessible to the public. An array rooms with different climates provide space for workshop, ateliers and offices. Pavillions supply visitors with food and drinks. A suspended net, bleachers and a garden serve as seating opportunities. While the adjustable roof provides shade and protects against wind or rain.
Creating a new type of adaptable space in Zürich usable for everything and everyone.
