Modernisation of 70s iconic Swizz office building into a highly sustainable building integrated with the surrounding park and Lake Zürich to become a new attraction for users and citizens in Zurich.

The obsolete office building at Bellerivestrasse 36 from 1974 is transformed into a modern and sustainable building. The façade of the building is revived into an optimized, energy performing, light and transparent façade cladded with photovoltaic panels that protect the interior from direct sunlight at the same time.

The interior consisting of office and rental units are connected to a new atrium which creates synergy and knowledge sharing between the different departments. The central position of the atrium brings identity and a feel of belonging to the users of the building.
Existing stone roof terraces are converted into greener spaces and connected to the surrounding park to delay rainwater running from the roofs to the ground and create biodiversity for plants and microorganisms. Entrances are all scaled down to bring the building to eye level with its users and passersby. This also breaks the wind and downdraughts creating more comfortable outdoor recreational zones.

Elegant colour palette

The horizontal photovoltaic panels on the facade are covered with colour treated glass to make them match the metal cladding on the supporting structure for the façade elements. This gives the building a new horizontal and light expression that fits elegantly in the existing park and gives the users and passers-by a clear view into the new office building. Wood cladded lift cores, white ceilings and a stone floor on the ground floor and wooden floors above ground floor are envisaged to create an elegant colour palette inside the building. The result from the renovation is a Swiss Minergie-A sustainability certification.