Noemi Horvath & Hannah Möwes

CHN stands at the head of the Hochschulgebiet in the center of Zurich, an area defined by its high density of institutions. For many, especially those not embedded in the university environment, this creates a transit zone, a barrier only exacerbated by CHN’s towering façade. As such, people simply pass by, hesitant to or unaware of how to enter the urban world inside.

CHN can be described as a city within a city. Nowadays perceived as a single block stretching the entire hill of the Universitätsstrasse, CHN originally consists of four separate buildings constructed by Friedrich Hess, Jakob Padrutt, and Roland Rohn from 1951 to 1975. Each part portrays a unique style, a clear mark left by the architect, yet inside, hidden behind the façade, they join to create one complementary, functioning unit.

Thus, the project proposes a hierarchy of entrances, welcoming the curious. Although its implementation has been suspended, our project roots itself in the ambitions the Weissbuch exhibits for an axis along a new green Spöndlistrasse, renamed Sternwartenstrasse. It plays with the vision of a new orientation and the porosity stipulated for the area. Ranging from inconspicuous doors set back in the corner of the buildings to alleyways stretching the entire length of the plot, the entrances open the building up, allowing it to breath, while simultaneously inviting the public to engage with the experimentation and knowledge within. The passage cut between the tower and the inner courtyard forms the backbone of this interaction. Playful projections and recesses in the new facades mediate between visitors and the rigidity of institution, the array of spaces and programs inviting them to stay and explore. The public has the opportunity to engage with the newest ETH start- up interventions, view exciting algae, earth, and plant experiments conducted in the labs on either side, or simply immerse themselves in the Umweltsystemwissenschaftem students connecting and studying inside. Learning is once again shared with the city, providing access to what has been, up until now, hidden behind closed doors.