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VERKAUF UND PRÄSENTATION • RETAIL AND PRESENTATION INNERE WERTE • INNER VALUES

T he Predigerkirche with its mighty chancel clearly projects from the tight mazer of
the old-town alleys below the Zurich “Universitätsberg”. Formerly constructed as
the church of the nearby Dominican monastery, since the closing-down of the convent
during the Zurich Reformation in 1524 the church had an eventful history. Above all the
high-gothic chancel, separated from the main nave in the middle of the 16th century,
over the centuries already served as a press house, a granary and a storage building
before, around 1800, the libraries of the canton, the city and the university moved into
the building. Close to 100 years ago, the historic wood structure of the false ceilings
was replaced with the first, and today listed, reinforced-concrete skeleton construction
in the city of Zurich. Since then, the music collection of the Zentralbibliothek is located
on the upper floors whereas the ground floor is used as an exhibition room for rare
books and manuscripts.

The old and the new are seamlessly woven to form a unity

The Zurich architectural office of Oliver Menzi and Philippe Bürgler was in charge of the
conversion of the Predigerchor during the past years. Inside as well as outside, the archi-
tects designed completely new accesses which meet the requirements regarding public
Das Treppenhaus wurde von verunklärenden Einbauten ... • The staircase was freed of disfiguring installations ... buildings of being barrier-free just as much as they fulfil the clients’ wish for a repre-
sentative foyer which makes the institution be newly perceived in the urban space. Via
... befreit und ein neuer repräsentativer Zugang geschaffen. • ...and a new representative access was designed.
a representative external staircase, directly from the library courtyard the visitors now
arrive in the newly designed foyer and the entrance area. A staircase which was reno-
vated and freed of disfiguring installation as well as a handicapped-accessible lift allows
access to the upper floors. In the choice of the materials used, the architects paid atten-
tion to harmoniously matching them to the existing architectural context: oak wood,
high-grade plaster, concrete and brass are to patinate in the course of time and thus
become similar to the materials of the Predigerchor and part of a new whole. The archi-
tects describe the desired result as a kind of puzzle “where different individual parts
interlock without differentiating from each other.” – The old and the new are “to almost
seamlessly merge to form a unity.” For the conversion, extensive excavations in the
archaeologically significant subsoil and in the area of the foundations as well as inter-
ventions in the monument-protected upper building fabric became necessary. These
works took place in close coordination with the authorities responsible.

Close coordination with the authorities and the building clients

The building clients as well were strongly involved in the project development. That was
because it was essential to stay in continuous dialogue with all the participants for
again and again coordinating and adjusting the technical and functional requirements
to the conditions of the historic fabric which, in many cases, only became visible during
the construction process. For newly designing the exhibition level, the so-called
Schatzkammer, Menzi and Bürgler furthermore secured the support by interior- and
exhibition designers Remo Derungs and Carmen Gasser from the Zurich office Gasser,
Derungs. Together, it was decided to expose the supports and the joists of the concrete
structure and to emphasize them as an autonomous, historic design element.
Showcases with wide brass frames were integrated into the existing deep wall niches
while modularly constructed exhibition islands made of Zurich oak were positioned in
the centre of the room. They consist of table- or all-glass showcases, audio- and video
stations as well as seat cushions or simple exhibition plinths. Depending on the exhibi-
tion concept, these islands can be individually arranged. To complement them, modular
partition walls for text- and illustration panels were designed. Along the outside walls,
a parapet of stacked oak sticks as the cover of the radiators borders the unique room.

Schnitt • Section

Grundriss • Floor plan Schnitt • Section

142 • AIT 9.2016