Bright lightness at Pilatusplatz
Almost a decade after the legendary “Schmitte”, the city-famous “Wirtshaus zur Schmiede” at Pilatusplatz in Lucerne, was demolished, the course was set for the future structural design of the area. The project competition for a commercial and residential building organized by the city of Lucerne generated a great deal of interest, with a total of 30 groups from investors and architects participating in the process. The structural and facade planners from Lüchinger + Meyer supported the team led by property developer Eberli Sarnen AG and the architectural firm Lussi + Partner and were delighted with an excellent 3rd place and a very worthy judgment by the jury.
“Playtime” – the chosen name of the design says it all: the jury was fascinated by the “playful lightness” of the building and its “modern expressiveness”. The high-rise was designed in analogy to the principle of the Volkshaus with different degrees of publicity. The honest visualization of the systematic separation of the supporting structure and the shell leads to a strong authenticity of the building.
The consistent “rational intelligence” is mentioned in particular, “which runs from the static structure, through the organization of the floor plans to the chosen design principles.” The proposed main structure made of visible, stacked steel frames with building-wide, column-free spans enables a high degree of flexibility in terms of possible use.
“The project’s bright lightness is also evident in the building envelope,” judges the jury. Ribbon windows and balustrades made of the durable materials glass, structural glass and aluminum are materialized with an integrated use of photovoltaics. This gives the city apartments a spectacular view, while taking sustainability into account. The exposed lightweight construction is reminiscent of the grace of modern buildings.
“Overall, the jury honored the Playtime project as an independent urban planning and architecturally consistent and carefully developed contribution that… represents an enriching continuation of the various Lucerne business buildings.”
