Youth Hostel, CH-Bern

The design calls for a precisely positioned new building to be added to the existing youth hostel on the eastern half of the lot using an additive construction approach. The L-shaped structure is positioned along the street in relation to the existing neighborhood layout and follows its course with a bend in the building. This distinctive building is visible and easily identifiable from the street. As in the existing building, the public spaces and common areas in the new volume are oriented toward the central plane tree courtyard. The location of the foyer connects the two volumes both spatially and operationally.

From the entrance area with its vestibule, visitors proceed directly to the reception area with a bar, which offers a view of the garden and the access route to the new wing. Adjacent to the lively common area — featuring a play area and seating — is a quiet wing of guest rooms. In the center of the building is a core containing ancillary rooms — bathrooms, storage, and mechanical and electrical systems — with the guest rooms and beds arranged in a ring around this buffer zone. The façade, with its dark steel profiles and extensive use of glass, plays on the slender proportions of 1950s architecture. Further design cues can be found in the structures of the row houses and industrial buildings in the diverse Marzili neighborhood. The floor plan, with its repetitive room structure, is reflected in the facade.