Schäfer roofscape

The first three storeys house a department store while the upper three storeys serve as four large, independent apartments within the formerly underused attic space. The building faces a public plaza protected by local regulations, thus, efforts were directed towards its rear facade. This west-facing elevation explores how slicing and folding can be employed to expand the limits of the ubiquitous pitch roof typology: large glazed balcony slots produce bright, contemporary living conditions and generous exterior expansion space within this dense urban situation. A marked departure from the neighbouring vernacular buildings.