Amthausquai Residential and Commercial Building, CH-Olten
A new replacement building with apartments is to be constructed in a prominent location in Olten. The row of buildings along the Aare promenade is, alongside the Old Town, the calling card of the city of Olten; within this row, the Aarhof occupies a prominent position due to its size and location (directly on Amthausquai and right next to the Bahnhofbrücke) and has a strong visual presence. The plot to be developed to the right of the Aarhof will thus occupy a special position.
The building lot extends from Jurastrasse toward Amthausquai, but has only one narrow side along the banks of the Aare. This main facade should, on the one hand, hold its own next to the Aarhof and, on the other hand, not disrupt the overall composition. The building volume is divided into two parts: the tower building on the promenade and the courtyard building, which forms the perimeter of the block. The recess created by this division helps bring light into the very dense inner courtyard. The façade, functioning as an enveloping network, binds the building together as a single form. The grid structure lies like a veil over the façade and lends the building envelope a sense of depth similar to that of the neighboring buildings (especially the Aarhof) with their pilaster strips and friezes.
The building’s interior layout is directly inspired by its shape. In the eastern part of the building (the tower block), the apartments face three sides. Through the use of multi-story and duplex apartments, these are interlaced across the facades. As a result, all apartments face three facades, offering a very high quality of living. The western part of the building (the courtyard wing) features a classic south-north orientation. The 3- and 4-room apartments are designed as open-plan layouts. The smaller apartments, on the other hand, face south and also offer optimal orientation. All apartments have balconies facing the inner courtyard — and thus facing south — some of which are covered.
