Correction of bad planning?

Master’s Thesis Project

Studio Marc Angelil

Spring 2019

The loop

My analysis showed that the project site is connected to a bigger network of public spaces and infrastructure along the Sihl river shore. The promenade spans between the Zurich Main Station and Allmend Brunau. The leisure and sports facilities along this stripe provide an extensive service to the residents and attract people from other parts of the city, such as the EWZ swimming pool, Sihlhölzli athletics center and Allmend Brunau sports ground. These public infrastructure centers are accompanied by recreational parks and leisure spaces where one of the most vital activities in a city takes place, “Play”.

The project site is a rare moment in the context where a multitude of elements fragment the urban fabric. The most drastic effect of this problem can be seen on the Sihl river bank where the continuity of the site is broken down to archipelago by the various transport infrastructures.

With these observations and the foreseen increase of the inhabitants in the area in the coming years, the necessity of providing spaces and infrastructure where “Play” can happen is crucial for a balanced experience of the City.

Research: Manesse Area Sociological Study

Parks & Recreation

Instead of focusing solely on the densification of the built environment, the project concentrates on the connection and enrichment of the active engagement spaces that is composed of parks and recreational spaces. The project acts as a node that intensifies the circulation along the Sihlpromenade, supporting the perception of a recreational axis that starts with the EWZ swimming pool and extends to the Allmend park. This intensification is not only achieved locally with the various sport activities, but also bidirectionally on the Sihl with the introduced water sports.

Infrastructure

The space along the Sihl is dominated by the elevated highway and the train tracks. The important crossings along the Sihl provide a connection on the East-West axis. On the west side of the Sihlpromenade there are multiple points where pedestrian paths are blocked and the priority is given to the transportation infrastructure. Placed between the two highway ramps, the pedestrian path is raised up until the point that it passes the level highway, giving the pedestrians their priority back.

Transition of Scale

The project mediates between the scale of the transport infrastructure and the scale of the surrounding buildings. It reacts to the abrupt ending of the elevated highway and breaks its intimidating proportions down gradually to the human scale. The facade of the volume is kept transparent in order to make this transition as communicative as possible, while supporting the openness of the public realm.

Design

The idea is to connect the isolated part of the site to the Silhölzli athletics center and the Sihlhölzli park via a structure that utilizes a spatial system that activates Sihl promenade. A closed “Loop” is conceived as a public space along the perimeter that slowly rises up southwards from the landscape and stops its ascend when it supersedes the level of the highway viaduct, while being accompanied on its sides by the existing tree canopies. The form of this pathway is derived from the boundaries of the site, i.e. the Sihl coast and the Highway viaduct. This new public pathway is widened according to the needs of the semi-public spaces that house various programs.

Program

The program of the volumes are iterated from two directions, and are aimed to attract more people while increasing active engagement possibilities. The first iteration aims to extend and diversify the offering of the Sihlhölzli athletics center, transforming it to a “Play” center, housing comprehensive offerings, such as tennis , dancing , squash, boxing , gymnastics etc. The riverfront is activated by raising the water level of the Sihl and adding a boardwalk, thus water sports can take place along the coast. These functions are complemented by the introduction of phsyiotherapy practices. The second iteration extends the program further by introducing gastronomy and various public amenities along the existing Sihl promenade, meeting the increasing gastronomy demand of the nearby offices and the visitors of the Sihl coast.

landscape Strategies

Urban Space Creation

The proposal is placed on an area that is highly fragmented. This feature is counteracted through the structure, which provides continuity between the existing and the new urban spaces. The “Loop” connects the Sihlhölzli park and the athletics center with the isolated part of the site. The river bank is activated by a boardwalk that allows a different perception of the Sihl. Arcades along the “Loop” act as a porous intermediary space between the promenade and the athletics track. The Sihlhölzli park is joined to the territory of the athletics center with the addition of tennis courts, transforming it from a tranquil space to a space for play. A courtyard is created on the southern part where the arms of the “Loop” meet. This courtyard acts as a spatial medium by allowing for horizontal connection from all sides with the various openings in the volume, and the vertical connection of the public space, i.e. the “Loop” with the semi-public spaces via spiral staircases.

Pedestrian Paths

The Sihlhölzli area has a relatively high pedestrian presence. The existing main axes are the Sihl promenade and the Sihlhölzli Bridge that connects the Hürlimann area with Manesse Street. The existing pedestrian traffic, however, doesn’t proceed southwards past the bridge. The design aims to activate the isolated part of the river bank by drawing the pedestrian flow southwards with the introduction of the programs and the alternative paths that make the connection more visible on multiple levels, such as the “Loop” and the boardwalk. The existing Hürlimann-Manesse axis is preserved with the “Loop”, where the wooden structure is in dialogue with the existing trees.

Between the Trees

In order to keep the existing rows of the Platanus trees along the Sihl promenade and Silhölzli area, the “Loop” is placed between the trunks. The “Loop” starts with a width of 4 meters and gets wider as the space between the trunks increase. The wooden structure and the parapet merges with the tree canopies and trunks, as the landscape is experienced from a different point of view.

Landing Of the “Loop”

The points where the elevated promenade, i.e. the “Loop”, meets the ground are defined by the athletics building and the music pavilion. The parapet of the elevated promenade reaches down and continues on the ground level, past the point where movement underneath isn’t possible anymore. The surface of the “Loop” is materialized out of Tartan, which is used on the athletics track. The surface continues after the landing, cutting through different surfaces on the ground and connecting the elevated arms of the new promenade, thus forming the “Loop”.