Bern: Three high-rise buildings planned for EWB site
The Halter AG project won out for the EWB site in Bern-Ausserholligen. Three high-rise buildings are now being built there - one for office use and two with cooperative apartments.
The EWB site is located between the Weyermannshaus sports and leisure facility and Europaplatz. Today, the site is mainly used for industrial purposes by the two landowners Energie Wasser Bern (EWB) and BLS. A mixed urban quarter is to be created there. Based on a joint test planning carried out by the landowners and the city of Bern and a subsequent in-depth study, EWB has invited tenders for a two-stage overall performance study contract for developers, planners and building lease holders.
New EWB headquarters and 220 cooperative apartments
The winning project by Halter AG envisages three high-rise buildings. The lower part of the tallest building will house EWB's new headquarters. The base of the new building creates a close connection to EWB's Holligen Technical Center, which opened in 2009, via passerelles and a covered service alley. In the upper half of the new building there is additional space for further office workplaces. In addition, the newly founded "Viadukt" cooperative is building around 220 cooperative apartments with exchange and communal areas in two high-rise residential buildings. All apartments will be offered in cost rent, one third in the low-price segment. For the public, rental areas for gastronomy, culture and health services as well as commercial uses are planned on the site. The neighboring areas and neighborhoods are also to benefit from this. In the next few years, the BLS plot will be used as a construction installation site for the large-scale railroad project "Performance improvement Bern West". From 2032, another new building can be erected here, which will close off the area to the northeast.
"The unchanged preservation of the Holligen Technical Center as well as the renunciation of extensive basements reduce the share of gray energy in construction," EWB writes in a media release. Another key element is the linking of all potential energy sources. Photovoltaic systems on the roofs and facades are used, as are groundwater and waste heat sources. The site is served by three S-Bahn stops as well as streetcars and buses. (aw)
