Bern: New quarter in planning

Energie Wasser Bern and the transport company BLS want to develop a joint site in Ausserholligen. The plan is to build a cluster of three high-rise buildings between 60 and 110 meters high to the west of the highway viaduct and a new building up to 30 meters high to the east of the viaduct. This is where the BLS construction base is currently located, but it will be relocated to Weissenbühl.

The area between the Weyermannshaus open-air swimming pool and Europaplatz is currently used primarily for commercial purposes by the two landowners Energie Wasser Bern and BLS. Office and residential uses are planned in the new buildings, as well as publicly accessible first floors with service offerings. Energie Wasser Bern wants to relocate its new headquarters to the site, and at the same time the company's commercial and operational activities are to be accommodated there in the future.

The investment volume for the new buildings is expected to be around CHF 300 million. In order to better connect the area to public transport, BLS is looking into moving the Stöckacker station to the east in the direction of the city center.

Study contract starts in spring

This spring, a two-stage study contract is to be put out to tender, aimed at planning teams, total contractors and developers. The first step will be to define the urban and architectural design of the entire site.

In the second phase, an indicative project is to be drawn up for the building site with the new corporate headquarters of Energie Wasser Bern, and the foundations are also to be laid for the development of the two other building sites. These sites are to be given to private or cooperative developers under building rights. Energie Wasser Bern's goal is to be able to move into the new headquarters at the end of 2024.

In order to implement the development project, the site must be rezoned. A zoning ordinance is expected to be submitted to the voters of the city of Berne for approval at the beginning of 2022. (ah)