At the 11th international Brunel Awards Ceremony for outstanding railway design and architecture, the SBB project Chur station was honoured, a design by the ETH-qualified architect Conradin Clavuot from Chur, visiting professor at the Institute of Architecture and Planning of the University of Liechtenstein.
Since 1985, every two to four years, a high-ranking international jury of designers and architects has been presenting the renowned Brunel Awards for outstanding design and architecture in the rail transport industry. The awards have established themselves as the most significant architectural prize in the railway industry. This year, the Brunel Awards were once again presented in Washington, D.C. by the renowned Watford Group, in categories such as stations, industrial design and rolling stock. Conradin Clavuot’s architectural concept for a new design of Chur’s railway station, implemented in cooperation with SBB Infrastructure, Zurich, and SBB Real Estate, Zurich, was awarded a commendation in the category of stations at this year’s awards ceremony.
New design of the station quarter
Chur’s railway station with its Neo-Renaissance station building no longer managed to accommodate the increasing traffic volume of Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and Rhaetian Railways, despite continuing operational adjustments. Through a competition, a solution for the complex urban development, traffic planning and architectural issues was finally found in the year 2000. The platforms of both railways were positioned logically, the tracks were linked via a spacious underpass, and the station building was built using a long, minimalist structure, thus rearranging the layout of the station’s square. The station’s reception building from 1878 was carefully restored and now accommodates various shops and a restaurant.
Architecture as an intermediary between people and the environment
Conradin Clavuot has become famous for his unpretentious architecture. He belongs to a group of architects of which many practised the tradition of “analogue architecture” at ETH Zurich, and worked in Peter Zumthor’s atelier. Conradin Clavuot’s designs are not restricted to the utilization of a certain form; they are characterized by a gentle and conscious, but also extremely unsentimental handling of tradition. Tradition is developed, rather than left static. Conradin Clavuot sees architecture as “an intermediary between people and the environment” and as “an inspiration for daily life”. In his "book of sketches", (Conradin Clavuot, Architekt; published by Niggli), he shows his favourite buildings and projects. This was not meant to be an illustrated book, but rather to display sketches, snapshots and processes of his work in pictures and in writing. For his achievements he has been awarded several national and international prizes.