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Youth Hostel Wollishofen
Mutschellenstrasse 114, Zürich
1960 - 1966
The
youth hostel, designed by Ernst
Gisel, replaced a temporary construction at the
Mutschellenstrasse, that was no longer able to deal with the youth
tourism,
which strongly reforced in the 1950s. The building contains a complex program off different rooms. The organisation of the building volumes was partly a result
of the tight, triangular building site between Mutschellen- and Tannenrauchstrasse. A six-storey volume saliences out of the ensemble and works as an urban focal point.
Together with the single-storey dayroom tract on the western side of the complex, whose roof can be walked on, the two buildings comprise an intimate courtyard.
Not only the disposition of the volumes is crucial for the character of the building, but also the arrangement of the windows.
This rather unusual arrangement is a result of the intended use. The vertical windows are the main lighting of the rooms, which were equipped with four bunk beds.
During the winter months the dormitories should be converted into student rooms, as fewer tourists are then expected in the city of Zurich.
The horizontal windows should then ensure that enough light is thrown on the working place.
The sober design of the spacious entrance hall gives it a cosmopolitan character. The walls, stairs, columns and girders there are executed in exposed concrete,
unlike the brick walls in the upper stories. For the other lounges was also intended a general and public atmosphere in which the most diverse people can meet freely and informally.
Also designed by Ernst Gisel is the student residential house on the adjacent property of Tannenrauchstrasse 35, which was completed in 1972.
Originally the building was constructed for the Youth Hostel Association. In 1996 the building was transferred by the city administration of Zurich to the
Swiss Foundation for Social Tourism. Since 1998, the youth hostel is listed in the city of Zurich as a building worthy of protection.
The alterations to the building in the years 2002-2004, resulted in strong interventions on the ground floor and did not take into account the original concept. The reception,
wich was located close to the main stairs, is today the kitchen area. The main entrance was moved to the longitudinal facade along the Mutschellenstrasse to enlarge the reception.
At the same thime, the dining room was somehow integrated in a kind of hotel lobby. As a result, the routing between the reception and the main staircase was obscured.
which strongly reforced in the 1950s. The building contains a complex program off different rooms. The organisation of the building volumes was partly a result
of the tight, triangular building site between Mutschellen- and Tannenrauchstrasse. A six-storey volume saliences out of the ensemble and works as an urban focal point.
Together with the single-storey dayroom tract on the western side of the complex, whose roof can be walked on, the two buildings comprise an intimate courtyard.
Not only the disposition of the volumes is crucial for the character of the building, but also the arrangement of the windows.
This rather unusual arrangement is a result of the intended use. The vertical windows are the main lighting of the rooms, which were equipped with four bunk beds.
During the winter months the dormitories should be converted into student rooms, as fewer tourists are then expected in the city of Zurich.
The horizontal windows should then ensure that enough light is thrown on the working place.
The sober design of the spacious entrance hall gives it a cosmopolitan character. The walls, stairs, columns and girders there are executed in exposed concrete,
unlike the brick walls in the upper stories. For the other lounges was also intended a general and public atmosphere in which the most diverse people can meet freely and informally.
Also designed by Ernst Gisel is the student residential house on the adjacent property of Tannenrauchstrasse 35, which was completed in 1972.
Originally the building was constructed for the Youth Hostel Association. In 1996 the building was transferred by the city administration of Zurich to the
Swiss Foundation for Social Tourism. Since 1998, the youth hostel is listed in the city of Zurich as a building worthy of protection.
The alterations to the building in the years 2002-2004, resulted in strong interventions on the ground floor and did not take into account the original concept. The reception,
wich was located close to the main stairs, is today the kitchen area. The main entrance was moved to the longitudinal facade along the Mutschellenstrasse to enlarge the reception.
At the same thime, the dining room was somehow integrated in a kind of hotel lobby. As a result, the routing between the reception and the main staircase was obscured.