FIFA Hotel Ascot E

LOCATION / HISTORY

The four-star FIFA Ascot business hotel, with its 74 comfortable rooms, is situated in the Tessinerplatz square, across from Zurich-Enge railway station. The name Ascot is not primarily a reference to the British race course, rather to the principal, Dr Anton Eric Scotoni, who used an abbreviation of his name as a brand. The building, which opened in 1954, was dedicated to British style and traditional English elegance. At the time, the Ascot was already a favourite meeting place for the stars. Dr Scotoni, who owned the best-known cinema in the city, organised premiere parties at his hotel.

Since then, the elongated building has always moved with the times. In 1986, a complete renovation was carried out and a floor was added (the 6th). In 2010, all the rooms were renovated again. Christian Frei, the owner of MMC Hotel AG, took over the management of the hotel in 1991 and the lease on the building in 1996, and has continued to run it successfully ever since. A further milestone was laid in 2014, with the sale of the building to FIFA.

DESIGN / ARCHITECTURE

FIFA carried out a further renovation of the business hotel with Zurich-based architecture practice Tilla Theus und Partner AG. The mandate, given to the renowned architect with extensive experience in hotel construction and conversion, was to modernise the reception and the bar and to fulfill the fire safety requirements in terms of escape routes. The glass and metal façade on the ground floor was redesigned and a partial renovation of the room floors carried out. As general planner operating under a general contractor contract, HRS Renovation AG was responsible for punctual and professional implementation.

It was important for the architectural team to retain the inviting and cosy atmosphere of the 1960s building, while reinterpreting today’s expectations. Particular attention was paid to the foyer, which became Ascot’s public image in the city. Shapes, materials, and directed lighting give a warm, comfortable and nevertheless urban and modern feel, which is familiar to international business travellers, while remaining unique. Tilla Theus chose stone to cover the floors and walls; the brown colour reinforces the famous Ascot atmosphere.

The bar is a true « island refuge ». The suspended circle above the bar was hung below the room’s ceiling, creating an area with a slightly lower height to give a feeling of security. The architect speaks of a brightsunny wreath floating over the bar and the small tables. The bar, with its acoustically effective surface, holds a curved design. The curve continues into the grain of the stone walls. The joint design forms rhomboids, typical of the 1960s. The slightly tilted slabs provide spectacular optical effects with their angles and mirror finish. Above the round bench, which separates the bar from the lobby and reception, the architect placed small spotlights hung from the ceiling to complement the « sunny wreath ».

SPECIAL FEATURES

The short construction phase was a big challenge for all parties involved. The schedule was exceptionally tight because unforeseen fire safety, building technology and static problems had to be solved. This required almost daily presence of the planning team because unknown problems could arise, requiring immediate solutions. Imaginative solutions were called for in the field of fire safety planning. For example, an outside escape staircase was planned and installed in order to preserve scope for the various architectural design options.