UMNUTZUNG 'SCHAPPE' REUSSBÜHL, LUZERN

This project shows how important it is to work with existent buildings - it’s our future. How we can combine a strong idea with new possibilities of living? The project is very simple, flexible, timeless and an answer against the investment companies, who built just new building with no character.

To be honest, I did this project because it was a task from our school in Lucerne. But what for me is much more important is, what I've learnt with this project? It was my first project, where I had to think about new living forms in an existent building. It was very difficult, but in the same way very interesting, to bring the beautiful one hundred years old textile factory hall together with the space allocation plan and the rules of the building construction site. One of the most important questions was, who will live there? And then the question how they will live in there? It was something new, but really a pleasure for me to write some short setting about the people who will live there. I was thinking so much about the atmosphere under the sheds and more and more I came to a very specific project, which is only possible there on this place with this given existent building. The people live together under one roof. Some are students, the others craftsman or artist. They share with each other for example the kitchen and eating area and even the bathrooms. Besides this really open thinking of mixed use, every single person has his own room with his own privacy. Not only the question of living in there was important, also my own position and answer to the outside. How will I react to urban space, to the neighbours and what is the impact of this existent hall for this region there in the middle of Switzerland. To bring the urban context together with privacy or even not, are topics, which will follow me the entire life. It was and it still is very interesting. Even if it wasn't easy, I would like to say thank you for this very instructive task and experience.