Rasterised: the third life of Auen School, Frauenfeld – renovation and expansion of a 1960s school complex
The 1960s Auen school complex in Frauenfeld by architects Barth and Zaugg is an exemplary work from the so‐called “Solothurn School” and is listed under “noteworthy post‐1959” in the Canton Thurgau Heritage Preservation Office's reference inventory. The renovation and extension of this complex enhance the pre‐existing ensemble and make its original concept perceptible again. Along the complex's central axis, three pavilion‐like new structures sit between the pre‐existing buildings. This “third lane” leads to a densification, in which the ensemble's original composition is preserved and simultaneously reinforced. The architecture of the new structures (pavilion, break shelter and bicycle shelter) incorporates the structural logic of the pre‐existing buildings. However, as open steel pavilions placed in the open space, they do not have a corporeal presence, but appear primarily as roofs supported by columns. Also to emphasise the relationship between the two new buildings, both pavilionś steel support structures are on the outside. Consequently, the steel columns are shifted away from the corners and, despite all the similarities, make the different nature of the new structures in comparison to the pre‐existing ones apparent.