The renovation of Riedtli secondary school building in Zurich Unterstrass left the building’s internal structure largely untouched. The staircases and halls were carefully restored, working in close collaboration with the city conservation authority. Newly conceived special rooms meet the requirements of modern teaching methods.

Schulhaus Riedtli, Zürich, Fischer Architekten AG Zürich

Riedtli secondary school is in the steeply rising area between Riedtli- and Röslistrasse in the Unterstrass district. The L-shaped complex that consists of a school building and gym hall was erected between 1906 and 1908 in the National Romantic style by architects Robert Bischoff and Hermann Weideli and is a feature of the urban fabric that is impossible to overlook.

The first alterations to the complex, which were made 1974, involved replacing the separate gym building with new building that houses an indoor swimming pool and a singing hall. A good twenty years later a renovation again became necessary. In addition, the rooms needed to be adapted to suit modern teaching methods.

The internal structure of the building was left largely untouched. Newly conceived special rooms augment the original classrooms. The staircases and halls were also retained in their original state, the restoration work needed was conducted in close collaboration with the urban conservation authority.

Today the renovation of Riedtli school building is used by the City of Zurich as a reference project for similar restoration projects.