riken yamamoto and field shop: mixed use complex, zurich airport

‘divers(c)ity’ by riken yamamoto and field shop

japanese firm riken yamamoto and field shop have received first prize for their ‘divers(c)ity’ proposal for a mixed use complex, located within walking distance of the terminals at zurich airport. named the circle the 547 million pound project will serve the airport’s 22 million annual passengers, and includes shops and a hotel.

seen from the airport, ‘divers(c)ity’ is an impressive structure that syncopates the prominent shapes of the existing airport, and from the hillside, it resembles a metropolitan kernel that blends with the greenery. influenced by the motto ‘from bustle to serenity’, the protective façade allows an urban scenery to unfold in interesting spaces and areas.

on the ground floor plane, an eclectic lattice of streets, plazas, and passageways meanders its way along the entire length of the complex, activating adjacent entrances, marketing platforms, gastronomic venues as well as areas intended for cultural activities and general public uses on multiple levels. a glass roof interconnects the cubatures on a mezzanine plane that serves as a further access level. the result is a multifaceted juxtaposition of individual volumes and contiguous modules that ideally merge public, semi-public, and private zones. tenants are assigned their own descriptive addresses. at the same time, the project affords great flexibility with respect to phasing across the entire life span of the building complex.

construction is scheduled to begin in 2010.

the results of the competition are publicly displayed at the airport forum of zurich airport until the 26 february 2010.

‘divers(c)ity’ model