9th Venice Biennale
Hohenbühl Project, section “Atmosphere”
Venice, I
September 2004
A full-scale fassade model of the apartment complex Hohenbühl was shown at the Arsenale exhibition of the 9th Venice Architecture Biennale curated by Kurt Forster. The Hohenbühl project is in heart of Zurich, whose buildings, streets, and parks are pocket-sized from an urban point of view. Showcase of the project are two volumetrically discreet buildings encased by a composite skin. What was originally used as a mass-produced mesh for conveyor belts in industrial bakeries is here transformed into a silver fabric, a curtain which acquires various complexions according to changes in light. Behind this armature, an all-glass membrane envelops the building. This is followed by yet another layer comprised of movable, colored panels. The three layers are flexibly interrelated and can be moved toward or away from each other. Residents choreograph their own environment. At any time of the day, they determine what they want to see or screen, or opt for complete transparency.
project team
Marc Angélil, Sarah Graham, Manuel Scholl, Reto Pfenninger (PV), Andreas Hochstrasser (PL)
specialists
Blanca Blarer artist