The St. Peter & Paul Courthouse for the Elderly is located in Zurich’s Wade district, Switzerland. This newly constructed activity center serves the local St. Peter & Paul Diocese Foundation retirement community.
This project, led by Knorr & Pürckhauer Architekten, involved designing and constructing an activity space as an extension of the existing retirement center.
Lead architects Philipp Knorr and Moritz Pürckhauer explained that the activity center is situated within a courtyard in a residential area, a common local building type used for studios, offices, medical rooms, and art spaces.
△ Second floor office area
△ Second floor office area
△ Activity area on the first floor
The design inspiration for the activity center draws from German painter Max Liebermann’s “Biergarten in Brannenburg,” aiming to breathe new life into the local community.
Max Liebermann’s “Biergarten in Brannenburg” © artnet
The original site’s fence was removed and replaced with a uniform gravel pavement. The activity center spans three floors (two above ground), each designed for different functions to best serve the community.
The ground floor features extensive floor-to-ceiling glass, flooding the interior with natural light and connecting it to the adjacent courtyard. Here, residents can participate in activities such as cooking, sewing, flower arranging, and crafting.
△ Activity room on the first floor
The second floor serves as office space, distinguished by a tent-like structure that gives the building its unique character. Its facade features prefabricated copper oxide panels, creating a gemstone green appearance.
Large circular windows provide ample natural light inside, while the white interior walls create a spacious atmosphere. A spiral staircase connects all floors vertically.
△ Spiral staircase
Additionally, a circular skylight above the stairwell provides natural light to the underground auditorium.
△ Basement Auditorium
Technical drawings:
△ Site Plan
△ Lower Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Elevation Drawing
△ Section Diagram
Project Information
Architect: Knorr & Pürckhauer Architekten
Area: 500 m²
Year of Completion: 2020
Photographer: Philip Heckhausen
Project Management: Marco Caviezel
Construction Management: WT Partner AG / Frits Dekker
Structural Engineering: Ferrari Gartmann AG / Patrick Gartmann
Automated Design: Kalt + Halbeisen AG / Daniel Raidt
Lighting Design: Mettler Partner AG / Marc Dietrich
Font Design: m-d-buero / Ramona Heiligentzer
Artwork: huber.huber / Reto Huber
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up