Town hall of the future

The Floating Rathaus

First, a public square, where citizens can gather, meet, and move freely. Then, a suspended superstructure defining a covered plaza and accommodating the main collective functions of the City Hall. Public stairs connect the different floor levels, acting as both distribution and social infrastructure, a place to see and be seen. Finally, rising from the horizontal ensemble, a tower completes the composition as an urban landmark, hosting the administrative offices.

The façade articulates transparency and translucency in a system integrating photovoltaics and solar shading devices. A mixed timber-concrete structural system reduces the environmental impact of the building while allowing for large spans, flexibility of use and long-term adaptability.

The building reacts to its context by negotiating between horizontality and verticality, in a dialog between openness and monumentality.