P046 | Mehrfamilienhaus Aarauerstrasse

The apartment building was designed and built in 1954 by a local engineer together with a master builder. Its well-proportioned façade with ribbon windows and tapered recessed balconies makes it a finely crafted representative of its era.

A deteriorating waste pipe prompted a comprehensive intervention in bathrooms and kitchens. The scope of work was aligned with the remaining life cycle of the building. The main rooms are rather narrow by today’s standards, the structural framework is modestly dimensioned, the floor build-up does not meet modern acoustic requirements, and the recessed balconies remain an energy concern. The building’s remaining service life was therefore estimated at 20 to 30 years.

The work on the riser zone was used as an opportunity to refurbish bathrooms and kitchens. By integrating the separate WC into the bathroom, space was created in the 3.5-room apartments for larger kitchens, and in the 2.5-room apartment for a storage room. Generously proportioned openings across the corridors create a more open connection between the street and courtyard sides. Concrete terrazzo slabs in this central zone play with the spirit of the building’s original substance.

On the residential side, living rooms were combined with bedrooms. Tapered wall elements echo the geometry of the balconies in the spirit of the original building, giving the living area a clearer definition. In the 3.5-room apartments, this configuration creates a central dining area in front of the balcony. The sequence of rooms continues opposite into a studio that can be separated by a sliding door to serve as a workspace or small child’s room. The new cross-orientation of these rooms alleviates the somewhat unfavourable proportions. In the 2.5-room apartment, the elements separate a dining area with open kitchen from the living area. A free-laid oak parquet with border underscores this enfilade.

The facade’s colour concept, developed in the 1980s by regionally renowned artist Hans Anliker, was retained.