Stoa_Zh

Our future will be powered by renewable energies. The natural daily and annual rhythms of these energy suppliers do not coincide with those of our everyday live. Therefore we have to store power over time.

The void spaces above the grain in the Kornhaus bares tremendous potential. Due to the similarity of solar- and grain profits, a coexistence of two mechanisms becomes possible.

Large infrastructure buildings, like the Swissmilltower, will always be part of our cities. In order to generate continuous urban qualities, these places must also be revitalized through appropriation. Read more

The tower itself, an efficient machine with far-reaching logistical value, should continue to perform its task undisturbed in its existing architectural form. However, due to its relevance to the genus loci it is necessary to appropriate space for society to enter. In order to create a space to endure all parties involved must profit from the intervention and transform void into spatial opportunity.

The aligned rhythms of rising and lowering grain and the solar impact enable the installation of an potential energy storage. the system translates the fluctuation of energy into the movement of mass. Concrete weights on steel ropes are placed into the vessel that is the silo, moving up and down the space in unison with the sun. The byproducts of this intervention are spaces that bear tremendous potential to be appropriated. According to the Gestaltungsplan the company is free to install any number of offices in the tower. STOA ZH is a cooperative that creates social space in coexistence to the performative hall.

Curated through the economic rhythm of the tower. Private offices by day become a societal playground by night. In order to make the narrative of coexistence work both systems have to operate independently in terms of space and ownership. This requires a number of adaptive elements. The ever-changing patterns of extended weights is communicated via a website. The spaces can be rented according to the shape of the expected landscape.

Along the cables of the weights, a pearl-string of space-defining objects are attached to define the space differently depending on their level. To construct coexistence and define the impermanence of the STOA ZH. A tool-wall on each side of the hall provides the room with rudimentary needs like light, water and electricity. In this way, the architectural intervention provides society with a small share of free space. Read less

Category
Design Studio
Place
Zurich
Year
2022
Author(s)
Johanna Lorch, Jozef Merx, Lukas Meier
Team
Severin Bärenbold, Arno Brandlhuber, Roberta Jurčić, Jolene Lee, Pan Hu, Meghan Rolvien
Contributor(s)
Florin Högger, Martin Sitorus, Olaf Grawert, Ludwig Engel, Basil Kretz, Hugo Lindberg, Tabitha Ceriani, Nicolàs Egon Wittig, Nils Grootenzerink, Martin Riewer, Laura von Salis, Joelle Spira, Dominik Tassera, Norma Eggenberger
Stoa_Zh
A Booklet Full Of Different Approaches
Model As A Silhouette
Performance Of The Space
What Would You Do Up There?
Are There People Working?
Whos Occupying The New Space?
Who is Responsible?
Performance By The People
What Are You Looking Down At?
Do You Want To Join?
How Do You Know?
Does The Tower Fit Everywhere?
Performance Of A Model