Living Room

In Zurich, where spaces are increasingly privatized and tied to consumption, the question arises where and how collective forms of living can take place. The Hardturm Parking is defined by constant movement, logistics, and transitional infrastructures and may at first seem unsuited for intimate functions such as living. Yet it is often these overlooked in-between spaces that hold the potential to test new forms of public life. The project interprets the parking ramp as an urban threshold and transforms it into a public living room.

Through research of the area and existing domestic living rooms, we identified the need of a space conceived through the lens of people living in the nearby asylum-seeking center.

The project is structured by a system of curtains that transform the ramp into an adaptable space. The outer curtain functions as weather protection and is constructed as a three-layered membrane. A plasticized outer layer, a fiber core and an inner layer made of a water-repellent textile. Horizontal quilting stitches stabilize the filling and express the construction logic. Circular window openings with PVC foil allow visual connections across the ramp and maintain a sense of collectivity despite spatial separation. A second, inner curtain allows users to create niches. The curtain segments can be connected using Velcro, enabling continuous configurations. At the bottom, the curtains attach to the seating elements through Velcro strips, anchoring the textile system.

At the center of the living room lie soft seating islands, imagined as an alternative to conventional sofas and normative modes of sitting. The seating elements form a soft topography composed of different cushion sizes. The large floor cushions are fixed within the niches created by the curtains and anchored to the ground using eyelets. Smaller portable cushions are equipped with straps for carrying and can be attached to one another using Velcro.

Reuse and upcycling are fundamental to the material logic of the project. The cushion filling is made from recycled foam waste, reused as a soft core. The covers are produced from truck tarpaulins, chosen for their durability and water resistance. Traces of use are not concealed but framed through the placement of the Velcro seams, understanding imperfections as part of the material history. By combining textile architecture, adaptable seating, and reused materials, the project transforms the ramp into a collective space where living is understood as a flexible, shared, and caring practice.

Autumn 2025

Project by: Christina Kreutz, Margaryta Zimarina, Bigna von der Heiden, Dominique Meyer

Teaching team: Anna Puigjaner, Dafni Retzepi, Ethel Baraona Pohl, Lisa Maillard, Luis Úrculo, Pol Esteve Castelló, He Shen

Images: Luís Úrculo