Urban and yet in the country – this is how many would like to live. No wonder, the 66 rental apartments on the secluded Chatzenbach in Zurich’s Seebach suburb were quickly sold out. The concept of the garden city, which promised light, air and closeness to nature for everyone after the war with loosened up, green neighborhoods and rather fewer buildings, is still clearly perceptible here. Although the busy Schaffhauserstrasse and the railway line are nearby.

The four sculptural solitary self-confident structures on the banks of the stream stand like pearls on a chain – polygonal structures that fan out in perspective and reflect the natural surroundings with their facades made of jade-green ceramic panels. Loggias and balconies create interesting cuts and cantilevers. “Our goal was to network the ensemble with the surrounding area and still create a strong internal cohesion,” says Marco Giuliani, head of Bob Gysin Partner Architects.