2013 Project carried out
University of Teacher Education FHNW, Solothurn site
"Plenus venter non studet libenter".
A full belly doesn't like to study, but for the canteen of the University of Teacher Education FHNW in Solothurn, the client, who had previously had the entire building from the 1960s renovated with the exception of the canteen, wanted to find a new architectural expression. The guiding principle was defined as a place that not only serves as a place to eat, but also encourages people to linger, to talk and to work in a communicative way.
Two large tables, at which one can sit or stand, visually divide the space into different zones. At the same time, the form invites different groupings. Movable curtains, which transfer the green of the outdoor space into the indoor space, flexibly divide the room into three smaller units as needed. The often less attractive areas, such as vending machines, food return, etc., were integrated into white cubes, which in turn form privacy screens to the toilet facilities.
The repetition of the large forms of the tables as wall reliefs on both sides makes the redesign of the refectory appear clearly as a design whole.
