City library and public square, Mendrisio,
Switzerland, 2011-2014

This proposed projects aims to make Piazza del Ponte the centrepiece within a network of public spaces and movement corridors within Mendrisio. Vehicle routes and parking in and around the Piazza are reduced or removed to re-balance the priority with pedestrians and cyclists.

An existing 1960s office building is replaced by a new tower initially proposed as a city library, and then as a luxury hotel. The ground floor retains a civic function, becoming a public room open to the square, and a colonnade highlights the civic character of the public space within. The top of the building – also a public terrace – can be accessed directly from the public foyer, while the floors above are occupied by the hotel and its associated facilities.