![Parish House St Josef by Frei and Saarinen Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-2.jpg)
Parish House St. Josef by Frei + Saarinen Architects
Frei + Saarinen Architects of Switzerland renovated this 100 year-old parish centre in Zurich by installing walls at all angles.
![Parish House St Josef by Frei and Saarinen Architects Parish House St Josef by Frei and Saarinen Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-11.jpg)
The project, entitled Parish House St. Josef, involved creating a glazed entrance on the ground floor, wood-clad lobby with sloping, faceted walls, and the priest's accommodation above.
![Parish House St Josef by Frei and Saarinen Architects Parish House St Josef by Frei and Saarinen Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-6.jpg)
The priest's apartment leads onto a small terrace, with the angled roof translating to one of four sloping walls inside.
![Parish House St Josef by Frei and Saarinen Architects Parish House St Josef by Frei and Saarinen Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-7.jpg)
The following information is from Frei + Saarinen Architects:
Frei + Saarinen Architects converted a 100-years-old Parish Centre in Zurich and implanted a new wooden lobby with a unique atmosphere that is generated by a clash of "trendy“ facetted geometries and an old fashioned way of detailing.
![Parish House St Josef by Frei and Saarinen Architects Parish House St Josef by Frei and Saarinen Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-5.jpg)
The geometry of the new lobby is the consequence of stretching the formerly enclosed space towards the facades and respecting the given bearing structure.
![Parish House St Josef by Frei and Saarinen Architects Parish House St Josef by Frei and Saarinen Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-9.jpg)
A new rooflight accentuates the entrance to the hall.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-4.jpg)
Additionally this vertical element "slows down“ the dynamic character of the lobby.
![Parish House St Josef by Frei and Saarinen Architects Parish House St Josef by Frei and Saarinen Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-12.jpg)
Aditionally, a new appartment for the priest was designed at the top level.
![Parish House St. Josef by Frei + Saarinen Architects Parish House St. Josef by Frei + Saarinen Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-15.jpg)
Since a part of the former bigger terrace was covered by a roof-extension, a portion of the tilted roof became a tilted interior wall.
![Parish House St. Josef by Frei + Saarinen Architects Parish House St. Josef by Frei + Saarinen Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-17.jpg)
Thereby a new pentagonal room with four tilted walls is generated – the priest’s new "tilted“ living room.
![Parish House St. Josef by Frei + Saarinen Architects Parish House St. Josef by Frei + Saarinen Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-16.jpg)
Only two new elements are seen from outside: The new fully glazed entrance to the lobby (the glass is a custom product weighting 1.5 tons) and the new dormer window leading from the priest’s living room to the terrace thet can be partly covered.
![Parish House St. Josef by Frei + Saarinen Architects Parish House St. Josef by Frei + Saarinen Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-14.jpg)
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-1.gif)
Above: lobby process
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-13.gif)
Above: priest's home
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-3.gif)
Above: ground floor
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/10/dzn_Parish-House-St-Josef-by-Frei-and-Saarinen-Architects-4.gif)
See also:
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