Singer Baenziger Architekten

Retirement Home Extension

Retirement Home Extension
© Christian Senti

Retirement Home Extension

Singer Baenziger Architekten

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Roman Singer, Vladimira Vanikova

CLIENTS
Genossenschaft Alterssiedlung Arbon (Arbon Retirement Housing Cooperative)

DESIGN TEAM
Singer Baenziger Architekten

CONSULTANTS
Raumanzug

ENGINEERING
Sjb Kempter Fitze

CONSULTANTS
Raumanzug

PHOTOGRAPHS
Christian Senti

AREA
679 M²

YEAR
2019

LOCATION
Arbon, Switzerland

CATEGORY
Retirement, Extension

EXTENSION OF HALL AND COMMON ROOMS IN A RETIREMENT HOME IN ARBON, SWITZERLAND

The retirement home in Arbon consists of several buildings erected independently of one another.

Retirement Home Extension
© Christian Senti
Retirement Home Extension
© Christian Senti

By relocating the existing parking spaces to an underground car park, an accessible park-like exterior area was created to interlink the different buildings with a common identity and integrate them into the neighbourhood.

The south- and west-facing “Stoffel” buildings are turned away from the others and are accessed primarily from the back.

Retirement Home Extension
© Christian Senti
Retirement Home Extension
© Christian Senti

With the new assembly room underneath a wide overhanging roof, the “Stoffel” buildings have now been given an opening towards the street to welcome visitors.

The concrete roof, designed along the lines of the existing exterior elevations, creates the required sheltered outdoor area leading to a square which acts as a central meeting point.

Retirement Home Extension
© Christian Senti
Retirement Home Extension
© Christian Senti
© Christian Senti

Consequently, this is also where a separation from the main hall creates an everyday common room for the residents.

Now accessible from the existing residential building, the hall is where the expressivity of this architecturally designed extension can be fully experienced.

Retirement Home Extension
© Christian Senti
Retirement Home Extension
© Christian Senti

In line with the existing architecture, the hall has been constructed in exposed concrete. The coffered ceiling lends significance and a festive, almost sacred expression to the hall, balancing out the disparity of the four sides, two of which are closed off while the other two feature floor-to-ceiling glazing.

The space is illuminated by skylights to contrast the heaviness of the concrete. Different artificial lighting is used to create various moods depending on the use of the hall.

The existing foyer has been complemented and modernised while retaining the materials and colours characteristic of its beginnings dating back to 1980.

Retirement Home Extension
© Christian Senti


Retirement Home Extension
Situation

Retirement Home Extension
Site plan


Retirement Home Extension
Section 01
Retirement Home Extension
Section 02


Retirement Home Extension
Elevation 01
Retirement Home Extension
Elevation 02

Singer Baenziger Architekten
T +41 43 2439023 F +41 43 2439885
Singer Baenziger Architekten
Elisabethenstrasse 14A, 8004 Zürich, Switzerland