Gian Brechbühl & Jonas Schmid

LEO and TAN are standing side by side representing a rich architectural time capsule of the 19th century. They have established themself as gemstones in the „Stadtkrone“ above the old town of Zürich. However, during the recent decades the university district has been transforming frequently, trying to fulfil the requirements and spatial needs of the universities. As a result, LEO and TAN are put under pressure of being replaced by a larger and more modern building as well.

Furthermore, urban development led to the widening of the streets around TAN, eventually even cutting off its terrace, which creates a bottleneck at the corner. The remaining sidewalk is no longer safe nor adequate for public circulation, so pedestrians needed to be redirected to the backside of TAN.

To re-establish urban circulation along the city front facade, we cut a new passage into the base of TAN, continuing the arcade Typology of ML2 and relating to the vision of the “Sternwartkasakade”. Central to our proposal is the addition of a new volume between LEO and TAN, effectively connecting them to become one with the complex. This new volume merges the historical essence of LEO and TAN by carefully sampling and reimagine elements from both buildings. This should spark a playful dialogue, introducing a harmonious yet dynamic interaction between the past and the present and but as well questioning history, authenticity and the original in architecture.