Äussere Haab residential and commercial building, Lachen

The road passes the sculpturally shaped building on three sides. While the south-western side of the building is oriented towards Kreuzplatz square, the facade sweeps along Kapellstrasse up towards the lakeside and fits into the existing row of buildings facing the square along Seestrasse. The broad front of the building has been designed to appear as if it has come to rest at Lachen harbour, like an anchored ship. The recessed top floor partially connects with the facades on the long sides of the building, but the majority is recessed in accordance with building regulations.

Nine apartments of different sizes have been created on the upper floors. A cafe will be available on the ground floor. While the public-use ground floor is accessed via direct, covered entrances, residents enter the building on the eastern side. Vertical access is via the internal staircase or the adjacent lifts. The lakeside apartments feature a fantastic panoramic view over the harbour, from Lake Zurich across to the opposite shore. The apartments looking out over the village benefit from ideal light exposure and an idyllic view across the square and fountains. Due to the curved west-facing facade, apartments facing the village also enjoy a view of the lake from the external rooms.

The building has rugged, floor-high foundations made from natural stone to fit in with its urban location. The same high-quality material was used for both the window sills and railing trims on the balconies. The ground floor entrances are integrated into the natural stone cladding. While the windows of the roadside facades are surrounded by ribbon-like outlines, the eastern facade reacts to the neighbouring area with a rhythmic punctuated facade. Above the foundations of the building, the body of the building has been furnished with a two-layered, fine-grained plaster with a carefully coordinated white effect. The space-forming balconies are situated at each of the corners of the building and benefit from the warm colours of the wood/metal windows and the slightly tinted soffit, which contrasts with the main facade. The curved glass railings follow the contours of the building.