- 2026 Silver Prize
- From Public buildings
VOL volAare
Project Description
The volAare buvette is conceived as a temporary, easily demountable intervention at Kreuzackerplatz in Solothurn, contributing architecturally to the activation and enhancement of the public realm. Located in immediate proximity to the Aare River and with views of St. Ursus Cathedral, it functions as a low-threshold meeting point and reinforces the spatial linkage between the railway station, the historic old town, and the riverfront. As a small-scale, modular structure, the building is based on a prefabricated system of scaffold components clad with timber slats. This allows for efficient assembly, flexible adjustment of its length, and resource-conscious operation during the summer months. The functional organization comprises a gastronomic core, storage and ancillary spaces, and a covering roof structure, which through integrated lighting-contributes to the atmospheric quality of the square in the evening hours. The architectural configuration supports varying intensities of use: a linear counter enables both quick consumption in the sense of an "espresso al banco" for commuters and longer stays in the outdoor seating area. The arrangement of furniture maximizes visual connections to the Aare while integrating existing qualities such as mature trees and natural shading. Within the urban context, the buvette complements existing amenities such as the open book exchange and the adjacent pétanque court, which is regularly in use. This programmatic addition creates a versatile public space catering to diverse user groups. Overall, the project contributes to the activation, social diversity, and perceived safety of Kreuzackerplatz.
Christiane Ern, architect SIA BDA, born in 1968 in Krefeld, studied architecture at the TU Dortmund University and at the Iuav University of Venice under Prof. Aldo Rossi.
From 1990 to 1994, she worked at the office of Josef Paul Kleihues in Berlin; from 1994 to 1997 at the office of Jürgen Sawade in Berlin; and from 1997 to 1999 at Busmann und Haberer PGD in Berlin.
From 1999 to 2001, she was a research assistant at the Bauhaus University Weimar. In 2007–2008, she held a visiting professorship at RWTH Aachen University, and in 2008 a teaching appointment at Trier University of Applied Sciences.
Since 1997, she has been a member of the Berlin Chamber of Architects; from 2000 to 2009 partner at ern+ heinzl Architekten; since 2006 member of the BDA Berlin; since 2009 partner at ern+ heinzl Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH and member of the SIA.
From 2010 to 2011, she was head of the Building Construction Department of the City of Solothurn. Since 2011, she has been Professor of Construction and Architectural Design at the Peter Behrens School of Arts. Since 2019, she has served on the board of the SIA Solothurn section, and since 2020 she has been a member of the Cantonal Curatorium for Cultural Promotion in the field of Visual Arts and Architecture.
Simeon Heinzl, Dipl. Architect HTL, born in 1968 in Solothurn, studied architecture at the Engineering School Burgdorf, Switzerland.
From 1992 to 1993, he worked in the office of Oswald Mathias Ungers in Frankfurt am Main, and in 1993 at Dudler Dudler Welbergen Architekten in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
From 1993 to 1995, he managed the competition department at the office of Max Dudler in Zurich, and from 1995 to 2000 worked as project leader at Max Dudler Architekt in Berlin.
From 2000 to 2009, he was partner at ern+ heinzl Architekten. Between 2005 and 2006, he participated in mefista, the mentoring program of the FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland.
From 2009 to 2023, he served as a member of the cantonal examination commission for architectural draftspersons. Since 2009, he has been partner at ern+ heinzl Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH.
In 2017, 2023, and 2024, he held a visiting professorship for Construction and Architectural Design at the Peter Behrens School of Arts. He is also editor of the database materialatlas.com, serves as expert juror in various architectural competition panels, and teaches as an expert for Master’s theses in the Joint Master of Architecture program.
