Extension Campus Moos

PrizeHonorable Mention in Architectural Design /
Firm LocationZurich, Switzerland
CompanyE2A, Piet Eckert and Wim Eckert
Design TeamWim Eckert, Piet Eckert with Nils Döring and Eric Rudolph, Oke Hauser, Andrea Kovács, Kirstyn Lindsay, Valentino Sandri, Tobias Weise
ClientPartnership Secondary School of Kilchberg-Ruschlikon and the City of Ruschlikon
Project Videohttp://

Extending an existing building means not only considering what has already been built, but also the unoccupied space left behind. For this reason, we proposed a freestanding and concentrated architectural intervention that secures as much existing free space as possible. The new extension will therefore be organized in a way that is compact, condensed and vertical. Rather than trying to approximate the existing building fabric, we instead skillfully guide the existing exterior spaces in order to achieve a total composition between the interior and exterior spaces. The solid, simply designed structure stands stoically in the landscape, which is marked by large trees and open spaces. This approach is maintained in the inner spaces: generous, almost structure-less spaces allow a diversity of uses. The architectural expression of the new extension makes the inner logic of the building visible from the outside. Its appearance is marked by the floors: each level is rotated ninety degrees. The closed condition of the floor above is the structural support of the openness below. A central spiral stair reconnects the rotated corridors to each of the cardinal directions. In order to build a new school with the potential for future development, flexibility must be guaranteed; this means having the ability to allow almost everything without making anything impossible. The structure of this building defines only a minimum of fixed points and leaves as much open to potential uses as possible. In other words, flexibility can be defined both inwardly and outwardly in order to ensure that what cannot yet be seen today is still possible tomorrow.