As the replacement for a development built in 1951/52 by Ernst Göhner AG, a new district of the city with nearly 650 apartments is to be built at the edge of an attractive residential area that is well linked to public infrastructure and directly connected to the University of Zurich's Irchel Campus. The specifications not only entailed an "identity-creating, contemporary, and future-oriented garden settlement with multi-use outdoor spaces," but also the master plan for urban development on the triangular plot, the striking topography, and the existing stock of old trees.
Urbanistically, the proposed disposition doesn't form a closed front towards the streetscape of Frohburgstrasse, the small-scale residential buildings, or the edge of the forest, but rather establishes a differentiated spatial interaction and ends with the creation of a striking skyline silhouette towards Winterthurerstrasse. This approach is implemented through six multi-armed volumes, which-like a kind of reversible figure or optical illusion-are recognizable as precise parts of an assemblage as well as individual masses. The six volumes can be read in the context as formes fortes. The typological principle of the apartments has not been developed through the multiplication of a type, but rather stems from the partitioning of the overall form and, following the main principle, leads to different types that are repeated vertically. This precept leads to a large number of apartment types overall, which is imperative in achieving comprehensive sustainability considering the large total number of residential units. These include additional height studio apartments, corner apartments, pushed-through apartments, and, in general, a variety of views and orientation. Representative entrance halls are integrated with the stairwellsand respond appropriately to the scale.