Commercial & Cultural
Aura Contemporary Gallery
A public art forum featuring hyperbolic paraboloid concrete vaults and diffused north-light monitors.
LocationZurich, Switzerland
Year2023
Footprint18,500 sq.ft.
ClientAura Cultural Foundation
InvestmentEUR $14.5M
TypologyCommercial & Cultural
Design Intent & Architectural Monograph
Designed to host large-scale contemporary sculptures and digital installations, the Aura Contemporary Gallery reinterprets the classical civic basilica for the 21st century. The structure is characterized by a rhythm of post-tensioned thin-shell concrete vaults that float weightlessly above continuous glass clerestories.
Light is treated as the primary building block. Deep north-facing roof monitors filter UV-shielded daylight uniformly across 12-meter-wide column-free exhibition halls. Polished terrazzo flooring impregnated with regional quartz aggregate provides an enduring, reflective base that unifies interior galleries with the outdoor sculpture plaza.
The building incorporates advanced geothermal earth tubes and displacement ventilation incorporated discreetly into the perimeter reveals, achieving Net-Zero operational carbon certification while maintaining museum-grade humidity and temperature tolerance within ±1%.
Disciplines & Scope of Work
MasterplanningStructural ArchitectureClimate EngineeringPublic Realm Landscape
Noble Material Palette
Post-tensioned White Concrete
Swiss Quartz Terrazzo
Triple Insulated Glazing
Brushed Stainless Steel
Architectural Photography Gallery
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Aura Contemporary Gallery Architectural Detail 1
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Commission Atelier
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