With our contribution for the replacement of the “Kiosk”, we saw a significant opportunity, if not obligation, to address the lifeless ground floor facade of the Swiss National Bank. Contrary to the maxim "the further away, the better," the project proposes integrating the kiosk and the restaurant into the unused hall of the SNB. This approach provides a fitting conclusion to urban fabric and prioritizes public space. The contribution has clearly fulfilled its goal of provoking public discourse.
There came a point in the design process where the focus shifted from envisioning a new pavilion-like structure somewhere in the square to questioning whether a relatively generic program, such as a kiosk, might hold greater potential. Once it became clear that the ground floor spaces of the National Bank facing the square were underutilized, if not entirely misused, the solution emerged through a single, decisive move. By integrating the competition program into the existing building, the barricaded facade facing the square could be opened to the public, transforming the relationship between the building and the public space and rendering a further, separate pavilion unnecessary.
There came a point in the design process where the focus shifted from envisioning a new pavilion-like structure somewhere in the square to questioning whether a relatively generic program, such as a kiosk, might hold greater potential. Once it became clear that the ground floor spaces of the National Bank facing the square were underutilized, if not entirely misused, the solution emerged through a single, decisive move. By integrating the competition program into the existing building, the barricaded facade facing the square could be opened to the public, transforming the relationship between the building and the public space and rendering a further, separate pavilion unnecessary.
There came a point in the design process where the focus shifted from envisioning a new pavilion-like structure somewhere in the square to questioning whether a relatively generic program, such as a kiosk, might hold greater potential. Once it became clear that the ground floor spaces of the National Bank facing the square were underutilized, if not entirely misused, the solution emerged through a single, decisive move. By integrating the competition program into the existing building, the barricaded facade facing the square could be opened to the public, transforming the relationship between the building and the public space and rendering a further, separate pavilion unnecessary.
There came a point in the design process where the focus shifted from envisioning a new pavilion-like structure somewhere in the square to questioning whether a relatively generic program, such as a kiosk, might hold greater potential. Once it became clear that the ground floor spaces of the National Bank facing the square were underutilized, if not entirely misused, the solution emerged through a single, decisive move. By integrating the competition program into the existing building, the barricaded facade facing the square could be opened to the public, transforming the relationship between the building and the public space and rendering a further, separate pavilion unnecessary.