Residential and commercial building in Solothurn
The seven-storey residential and commercial building from the 70s, designed by Walthard – Doench, is located in a prominent location, directly next to the Westbahnhof railway station in Solothurn. The building, which has not been renovated since its construction, had technical, energetic and aesthetic deficiencies. With the new, up to 40 cm thick building envelope, these deficiencies were remedied during operation. The renovation concept envisaged building the new building envelope exclusively from the outside. During the renovation, the high-quality tenants such as doctors' practices, eye clinics, foot orthopaedics or law firm were protected from noise and dust by the old, internally hinged windows. After completion of the renovation, the old wings were dismantled and replaced by a steel frame connecting to the new window.
The new façade elements, made of prefabricated fibre cement panels, with rounded corners, obtuse angles and the perforated windows typical of the original appearance, supported the reinterpretation of the building envelope. Concave and convex façade panels open up in the area of the perforated windows and transform the two-dimensional representation of the façade into a three-dimensional one. The new dress takes up the traces of the author's character typical of the building's expression and gives the building a new, self-confident appearance.
Source: ssm architekten ag
Photos: Johannes Iff, Rob Lewis
