The former planing mill in Oberwinterthur has been transformed by baubüro in situ into an open, friendly community space, as part of a new residential project by the "mehr als wohnen" cooperative. The former industrial hall of the Kälin joinery has largely retained its original form: a brick structure with rough surfaces, visible supports and traces of previous use. Instead of being completely transformed, it has been carefully restored, deliberately unheated and with a minimum of intervention to preserve its industrial character and space.
A freestanding pedestal, made from recycled laminated veneer panels, has been integrated into the interior, housing a toilet, kitchenette and checkroom. These integrated elements are reversible, allowing flexible use of the hall for events, meetings, games or creative community projects. The existing building has also been respectfully preserved on the outside: an old masonry parapet, partially lost during previous demolitions, has been rebuilt with salvaged materials, without altering its historic character.
In close collaboration with reuse specialist Zirkular, a space was created that demonstrates how existing buildings can be converted with a minimum of resources - in a resource-efficient, pleasant and socially effective way. The Altes Hobelwerk thus becomes the identifying centerpiece of the new project: not a finished space, but an open space capable of evolving with the neighborhood. It illustrates an architectural approach that appropriates patina, rethinks existing structures and exploits the potential of reuse in the service of urban coexistence.
