Zurich: Calatrava builds for AXA Winterthur

AXA Winterthur is planning a new building at Stadelhofen station (visualizations © Calatrava)

On September 23, the developer, the architect and Zurich city councilors André Odermatt and Filippo Leutenegger presented the project and the necessary design plan to the public.

In May 2014, the city council released the existing building ("Café Mandarin") from the inventory of buildings of municipal importance that are worthy of protection, on condition that a public bicycle station be created. Since then, Santiago Calatrava and AXA, in collaboration with the City of Zurich, have been working on a project to enhance the Stadelhofen area in terms of both urban planning and architecture.

Calatrava also designed the train station

"With Santiago Calatrava, who lives in Zurich, we were able to win over an internationally successful architect," said Ernst Schaufelberger, Head Real Estate AXA. Calatrava had also designed the new Stadelhofen train station (1990). His central aim was to create an architectural unity between the station and the "Haus zum Falken" and to ensure its integration into the existing neighborhood.

"Thanks to its immediate location between the train station and Kreuzbühlstrasse, the Haus zum Falken property is the optimal place for a bike station," said Councillor Leutenegger at the media conference. "We are accordingly pleased that we can build this bike station together with AXA." The cost of the bike station for the city is around ten million CHF.

The project will be open to the public for sixty days from September 28. Interested persons and organizations can express their views on the design plan during the public display process. After the approval of the design plan by the city council, the municipal council will deal with the project. The earliest start of construction is the beginning of 2018 (ah).