A wine bar in a house that was rebuilt in the 1970s in Zurich's old town. Neither the location nor the building have anything to do with wine. The building has a long history, which is virtually negated by several complete renovation phases. The discrepancy between themed architecture, an almost featureless space and a location steeped in history, provided the opportunity for a conceptual experiment.
The geometry of the space resulting from several renovations is resolved by means of a black and white horizon with maximum contrast. The new space is redefined by collage-like fields of material. They follow their own logic as independent imports: fabric hangs, ceramics are glued, stone slabs are held in place with bolts, etc. In the middle of the room is the bar made of solid marble: five blocks and a total of 19 tons of Lasa marble. The almost unworked stones show signs of transportation and use and stand directly on the floor. Drilled holes bear witness to the transportation technique and a simple, broken edge indicates its use as a bar. There is no behind or in front of the bar, there is only the space and the blocks. The sheer mass dominates the space and defines a new, previously non-existent center.
Direct commission
Architecture: Stefan Wülser + Nicolaj Bechtel + Alice Francesconi
Civil engineer: Schnetzer Puskas
Building physics: Raumanzug
