Shisha bars and motorcades: Friesstrasse is the new «place to be» in the north of Zurich! The dynamic development of Oerlikon is unstoppable. But where is it heading? Are the furnished flats in the high-rise buildings the right choice for the growing service sector and the Oerlikon trade fair centre? Or are they just stops on the way to developing into a lively, well-mixed urban neighbourhood? In any case, this is how we have interpreted the development. So, the front garden along the street now also helps to literally «stand out» from the surrounding scenery. The dynamic, the pulse of the city as it rages outside becomes an inspiring murmur of this hustle and bustle, when observed from the box of the quiet flat – in the centre of it all, but still independent in its own right.
Here the noise of the road, there the noise of the railway, together they make a huge racket. So the urban development is quickly explained: the edge of the block must be closed to create a quiet courtyard where the flats can breathe. With the expansion of Oerlikon railway station and the new tram and bus station at the east exit, the square at the junction of Binzmühle- and Friesstrasse has been transformed into a public space. Accordingly, the corner on our building site is privileged, becoming the gateway to Seebach. The staircase and bay windows are structural elements with which we radially round the corner. The bay windows and ribbon windows turn the house towards the street – noise protection here does not mean turning away from the city.
