640 Wankdorf City

The floor plan is very simple and highly flexible with two central cores. Two existing egress exits and shafts from the underground parking are integrated into the new building. Their organic shapes form the only two ‘disruptive elements’ of the overall linear architectural language that is mirroring the geometrical grids of the surrounding office buildings, while creating a strong identity for the new SBB headquarters.

To meet the ambitious sustainability goals of the client brief, the project team developed with holzprojekt and WMM Ingenieure a structural system with minimal use of concrete. The floors above ground are executed in a flexible timber construction, that can eventually be fully dismantled and re-used. The operational energy use will be minimized by including a low-tech ventilation system and an energy-efficient heating/cooling systems planned by Anima Engineering AG. PV panels integrated in façade and roof are generating the energy needed for the office spaces.

Maximising the distance to the neighboring building, allowed us to create a spacious inner courtyard. The central moorland landscape, conceived by Bryum, provides a healthy microclimate for the site and enables a low-tech rainwater management. In addition to the growing plants on the facade and the roofgarden, the moorland is part of an overall enriched greenery concept for the Wankdorf City neighbourhood, providing natural shading and high-quality spaces for informal exchange and public life.