next125 Küchenjournal 2023

C R E A T I V E M A K E R S
FOR ZUMTHOR, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE
WITH THOSE WHO WILL GO ON TO “USE” THE ARCHITEC-
TURE. After all, it is in everyday use that the quality
of a construction project becomes apparent. At
the end of the day, architecture needs to be functional.
It is measured by how user-friendly it is,
whether it enhances the lives of those for whom
it has been designed and makes a long-lasting
improvement to a situation.
OVER THE YEARS, ZUMTHOR HAS ALSO EARNED A REPU-
TATION FOR REVIVING NEIGHBOURHOODS. Today, you
can find three of his much-loved pavilions nestled
in the city of Basel’s parks. They’re miniature
houses, each one unique. One made out of wood,
like a summer house, one built with Misapor, a
component-activating insulating concrete with a
porous exterior that’s delightful to the touch,
which regulates the building’s internal climate.
THE THIRD, HOWEVER, IS SOMEWHAT HISTORICIST IN
STYLE, NESTLED IN THE MIGHTY CHESTNUT TREES IN THE
OEKOLAMPAD COMPLEX – with a bitumen roof, vertical
Belgian brickwork, interior wood panelling and
views of the park and the surrounding buildings.
Each Hüsli, says Zumthor, has its own typology
and relates to its surroundings and the people
that live there in many ways. The children’s kiosks
comprise a toy rental shop, a small café with a
kitchenette and toilet facilities.
AS HE TAKES THE TRAM TO THE HÜSLI OVER THE RHINE,
WHICH SEPARATES GROSSBASEL FROM KLEINBASEL,
Zumthor is bound to be confronted with his past.
For a few years, the trained structural draughtsman
and architect worked for Herzog & de Meuron,
the design heavyweights with Basel in their
DNA. During this time, he was responsible for the
interior construction of the first of the non-identical
twin towers for pharmaceutical giant Roche,
an almost 180-metre, terraced high-rise on the
river bank.
ZUMTHOR ENTERED COMPETITIONS ON THE SIDE. He
soon won one, a contract to build the new Swiss
Embassy in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé. It was
an opportunity to escape the comfort of full-time
work and take the path towards a new sense of
happiness. Since 2012, he’s worked in an airy, loftlike
office on a pedestrianised street near the
historic city walls, of which only traces remain,
like the nearby Spalentor gate.
AS WE APPROACH THE FIRST PAVILION, the local
hangout is full of people, both young and old, on
this sunny Thursday afternoon. Children zoom up
and down the U-shaped path on their toy cars.
Others enjoy fresh popcorn and ice lollies. The
scene looks like something out of a hidden picture
book by illustrator Ali Mitgutsch.
IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THE CONCEPT WORKS.
ARCHITECTURE DOES SOMETHING TO PEOPLE. It moves
and transforms them. And with them, the entire
neighbourhood. It’s the same at the Claramatte
pavilion, which, with its basin, looks a bit like a
lido. What the park hubs share is their functional
aesthetic, which is unusual because they are
essentially just infrastructure buildings.
ZUMTHOR SAYS WE SHOULD NOT BE DECEIVED; OFTEN
YEARS OF PLANNING GOES INTO A PROJECT BEFORE THE
FINAL RESULT. The city, the locals, the fauna and
flora, the end-users – everything should be
taken into account. And that’s why it is easy to
identify with the buildings; they create a sense
of togetherness.
BUT SOMETIMES DEMOCRACY REACHES ITS LIMITS.
Children were once using the wall of a substation
as a goal, so a neighbour aggravated by the
noise decorated it with wooden ornaments.
Zumthor was asked to complete the functional
building and revamp the design. At least the park
will have offered plenty of alternatives to keep
the children happy.
Caesar Zumthor Architects
caesarzumthor.com
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