Wannenstrasse, Thalwil
A carefully reduced intervention gives greater precision to the floorplan of this generously dimensioned apartment in Thalwil and adapts it to suit new domestic requirements, while at the same time restoring its quintessential character. The extended daytime space allows views in all directions. The bathroom and adjoining bedroom are combined to form a single unit and a passageway now integrated in the plan reveals a view of the designed green space.
The apartment building near the railway station in Thalwil emerged from a successful competition entry by architects Ruth Giger and Crispin Amrein. The reduced intervention, which was required following a change of owner, concentrated on the kitchen, bathroom, and the creation of a fireplace. The existing floor plan was developed further or distilled to its essence.
Strictly defined by the lines of the storage space, the shifted and reorganised kitchen allows the adjoining circulation space to be integrated in the living room. By removing a wall unit, the space now extends to the bedrooms, offering a view of the lake or the courtyard in all directions. Having been “freed”, as it were, a storage unit now functions as a spatial piece of furniture that can be used from both sides.
The bathroom and the adjoining bedroom were combined to form a single entity that offers a place to withdraw to and relax. The newly integrated passageway provides a view from the bedroom, through the bathroom, of the designed green space outside. The bathtub was repositioned on the window axis.
The continuous flooring of smoked oak is laid parallel to the glass front to the courtyard and emphasises the flow of space, which can now again extend in depth as originally conceived by the architects.
Floor plan
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