Studio Vulkan Landscape Architecture

The Prime Tower is a mirror-finish high-rise building that defines Zurich’s skyline. It is located in the important traffic and urban space between Hardbrücke, the railway tracks and the Maag district. In this context, and to meet usage requirements, the exterior space around the tower functions as a seamless open courtyard connecting the Prime Tower and the “Platform”, “Cube”, and “Diagon” buildings.

The continuous asphalt cover of the urban ground surrounding the building volumes is a fundamental principle of Zurich’s town planning concept, which is also adopted as the principle governing the design of the exterior space surrounding the Prime Tower. The asphalt in the courtyard curves upwards to form three urban undulations, erupting into green spaces at the top. A lawn and trees grow out of the planting structures embedded in the asphalt. The whim-sical shapes of tall fragile trembling poplars are reflected by the regular mirror facade of the tower. On the outside, the asphalt elevations slope gently downwards, and are lined with broad sitting walls facing inwards. They create details in human dimensions in the middle of a transparent, highly functional urban environment: grass, trees, shade, seating, and a fountain on one of the asphalt ramps make the thoroughfares attractive.

Private parking, taxi, and bike spaces are designed with maximum transparency and permeability. Access to the area is regulated by retractable bollards. A pragmatic approach to the necessary functions of a high-rise and the principle of islands in a sea of asphalt create a traffic-calmed, yet accessible space that mediates between structural and human criteria.