Gus Wüstemann’s Concrete Apartment Complex Provides Affordable Housing In Zurich

Switzerland’s capital ranks amongst the most expensive cities in the world. Few are able to own their own property, and as a result, affordable rental accommodation proves a more difficult feat than in other European cities. Locally based studio Gus Wüstemann has challenged this predicament with a modern social housing complex, in the centrally-located suburb of Albisrieden. The new block is a departure from the 1950s-style housing that surrounds it. On each floor of the oblique building, a three-bedroom apartment exists at the wider end of the floor, and a smaller, two-bedroom apartment exists at the narrower end. On the rooftop floor, a one-bedroom apartment shares the space with a communal terrace. “Natural light, privacy, and a spatial moment of generosity, were the [main] focus of this project”, explains a statement from the firm. Throughout each apartment, concrete floors, walls, and benches feature, and wooden doors and blinds soften the materials austere feel. The complex is a prime example of the firm’s ethics; to create “spaces free of social status or connotation”.