Stadthof 11 (City Theatre), Zurich (CH)

Oerlikon is considered a side centre to the city of Zurich and offers a wide range of infrastructure and shops. The exhibition center forms a further focal point in Oerlikon. Stadthof 11 is ideally located in the middle of the park and is excellently served by public as well as private transport. The upgrading of the trade fair and event location, the creation of several hundred new jobs in the neighbourhood, but also the many new apartments make Stadthof 11 a top-class, urban location.
The building as it is today does not have sufficient architectural and urban qualities to justify its preservation. Due to the year of construction (1966), it can be assumed that the building has considerable technical and energetic deficiencies. The desired room programme, in particular the enlarged hall with 1,400 seats, can hardly be realized in the existing building structure and envelope. The needed renovation and extension of the demodulated theatre hall and restaurant is also part of the competition.
While the old Stadthof 11 was integrated in the surrounding area in terms of volume and material, the new Stadthof 11 testifies to the structural and social change of our time. The new Stadthof 11 will appear as a solitary body and yet still fit into the succession of larger, public buildings. The result is a place with many different urban qualities and a high density of use, which corresponds to the changed consumer behaviour and embodies a new building typology.