Service Building Bahnhofplatz Altdorf

Altdorf station was upgraded to a cantonal station due to the extension of the North-South axis of the railroad to the new transalpine railroad (NEAT); as a result, local traffic is synchronized with international rail connections. The architecture of the new service building provides the station square in Altdorf with a corresponding urban enhancement.

The precisely placed, clearly cut structure establishes new references in the direct surroundings: the longitudinal volume spatially unites the station square and road axes. With its urban scale and geometric order, the building constitutes a superordinate and representative impression, enabling the emergence of a new hub outside the center of Altdorf. The building is bilaterally symmetrical and divided by two open staircases. As a result, uniformly staggered spatial zones are created, which can be flexibly subdivided according to use. The first floor is designed as an open-columned hall.

The linearity of narrow routes and bus lanes characterizes the shape of the building: the profile section creates a structural language, which translates the flow of forces into both the interior and exterior of the building.

The concept is based on a frame structure with a level of beams on top. The suspended columns in the front facade introduce the loads of the building cantilever into the beam plane via the connecting architrave. Two rows of vertical cross columns, visible on all sides on the first floor, transfer the forces further into the base. The suspended columns of the square-facing façade, stepped back in tiers, lend the building plasticity. The basic structure is made of in-situ concrete, while the repetitive façade is composed of industrial-grade aluminum profiles.