Helvetia Girtannerswiese St.Gallen

With the headquarters of the Helvetia Insurance Group, the buildings of the University of St. Gall and the adjoining residential quarter to the east, Girtannersberg is both part of the public representative townscape and a privileged residential neighbourhood. However, the intended development of plot C2735 for mixed use and the latest possible allocation to individual uses prevent a continuation of the building regulations for “contemporary townhouses in the midst of a garden landscape”. Rather, the “amber” project continues the existing scale of public buildings with two freestanding buildings set into the open landscape of Girtannersberg. The geometry of the project follows the Cartesian principle of the main buildings of Helvetia Insurances and continues the rhythm and staggering of the building volumes. Thus, the two buildings mediate between the different neighbours as to their scale of the front and longitudinal structures. The concept of the existing garden will also be continued towards an open, park-like landscape.

A common façade grammar of office and residential buildings consisting of horizontal and vertical elements creates a node, which holds the two buildings together despite their different storey heights. A dialogue with Helvetia's main building is not only taking place in terms of volume, but also through the concept of the façades.

LOCATION: St. Gallen

STUDY CONTRACT: 2017

CLIENT: Helvetia Versicherungsgesellschaft AG, St. Gallen

MEILI, PETER & PARTNER ARCHITEKTEN:

Markus Peter, Patrick Rinderknecht, Alice Hucker

Leonie Amsler, Raphael Jans, Andreas Haupolter

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: Müller, Illien Landschaftsarchitekten GmbH, Zurich

BULDING PHYSICS AND SUSTAINABILITY: Gartenmann Engineering AG, Luzern

RENDERINGS: Besa Zajmi, Zurich