Bus station building, Zurich

The project
The site, a parking lot behind Zurich's main railway station, had long attracted little attention and had a negative reputation. The new operations building is intended to enhance this location by making it more accessible and friendly. The square will not only be used as a functional transportation hub, but also as a place where people can spend time. Instead of taking their cue from typical long-distance bus stations, the architects were inspired by simple, functional structures such as garages and storage buildings. This design language suits the location well, as the building does not need to be overly prestigious, but instead impresses above all with its simplicity and practicality.

The construction method
The building was planned and designed as a compact and simple timber frame construction with a flat roof made of horizontal glulam. Three-layer panels painted with Schlemmfarbe were used for the facade cladding. Simple standard steel profiles and a corrugated metal roof cladding were used for the canopy construction in order to create a structure that is as delicate and light as possible.

The challenge
Due to the short service life, care was taken to use materials that were as raw and simple as possible, and the construction was also to be designed as a «design for disassembly». Due to these framework conditions, some innovative and unconventional detailed solutions had to be developed and implemented.