Frontgarten St. Gallen is a completed project by Harry Gugger Studio for Ausgleichkasse medisuisse designed in 2017. It is located in St. Gallen Switzerland in an old town setting. Its scale is medium. Key material is wood. Rablab collaborated as visualizer. Concepts such as broken volume plinth grid and opening are explored.

The unique site of this project required not only a free-standing, autonomous form, but also a volume which visually “completes” the existing block. In answer to the unique circumstances, our proposal offers a strong relationship to the street and courtyard while remaining neutral to the sides.

Architecture

The form of the structure is derived from the most efficient use and construction method. All structure above the basement level is an innovative and fully wooden construction. Within the given dimensions of the project, the timber construction allows for the absence of columns in all but the ground and first floors of the building. This provides open and flexible space in all typical floors and creates a unique and simple architectonic expression in the interior. The façade of the proposal is created with fiber-glass reinforced concrete—both respecting the traditional mineral facades of the surrounding buildings while offering a light-weight prefabricated structure. Using this constructive, small-scale installation method, the façade construction reflects the kind of wooden joinery happening within. The construction methods also a have an urban design basis—the clean and efficient process allows for minimum building time and intrusion in the neighborhood. The building is like a piece of furniture inserting itself into the square.

2157-HGS-BSL.CH-2017 — Posted in 2018 — Explore more projects on office and office building — Climate: continental and temperate — Coordinates: 47.422450, 9.373752 — Consultant: ERNE AG Holzbau, MWV Ingenieure AG, De Martin Zweng AG, IBG B. Graf AG Engineering, Gartenmann Engineering AG, PP Engineering GmbH — Views: 4.012