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 6 6
C R E A T I V E M A K E R S WORKSHOP Caesar Zumthor Architect FRAGEN 12 5 QUESTIONS 6 7
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