Alte Landstrasse, Männedorf

The perimeter is located at the southern end of Männedorf, between Seestrasse and Alte Landstrasse. The view of Lake Zurich, which must be kept unobstructed, provided the framework for the project – however, deliberately, the building does not extend across the entire width of the site. The building mass is concentrated in a single volume, which at the highest point blends into the sloping site, exploiting the way the terrain has been mounded over the course of time.

On Alte Landstrasse, which once provided the address for the property and the district, a place that marks arrival and offers a clear address is created. This is in line with the intention to increase the density on Alte Landstrasse and to upgrade the area. A sizable part of the site below the building is preserved to make a garden that can be used by all residents. Although the terrain will be excavated in part, the entrances to the building and to the ground floor apartments are above the level of the surrounding outdoor space.

Setting Seestrasse back reduces the problem of the noise created by this traffic artery to an acceptable level. The existing retaining wall along the road suffices ensure that the building complies with all limit values so that no restrictions were imposed on the positioning of the windows or the design of the balcony parapets.

On each level three apartments are served by a central staircase. By fanning out the volume on the south side daytime spaces facing the lake can be made for all apartments, while recesses in the facade ensure privacy. Large ceramic panels, curved in several directions, form the building’s external skin. Their shiny, engobe-coated surface evokes the waves on the lake.