Starting signal for Calatrava building in Zurich-Stadelhofen
At the beginning of April, the Axa Investment Foundation began preparatory construction work for the planned new building of the "Haus zum Falken" at Zurich-Stadelhofen station.
"With the new building, we are setting an urban accent and at the same time creating attractive rental space for offices, commerce and services at this central hub," says Frederick Widl, Head of Real Estate at Axa Investment Managers. The building is being constructed according to plans by renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, who already designed the Stadelhofen train station; Allreal Generalunternehmung AG has been commissioned with the realization of the project.
According to the plans, a sculptural, very delicate upper-story façade of the Haus zum Falken will take up the building lines of the neighborhood and connect them to the train station. By receding the first floor façade, a forecourt will be created that puts the Falkensteg - the connection to the upper promenade - in the center and creates a generous pedestrian area. The park-like gardens of the upper promenades will be visually continued by a green roof with integrated solar panels. On behalf of the city of Zurich, Axa is realizing a bicycle station in the basement of the building distributed over three floors with around 800 parking spaces and direct access to the tracks.
Axa compensates the added value associated with the design plan with a contribution of CHF 1.55 million to the city. The city is using this amount for the bicycle station; the city council has approved funds from the framework credit for bicycles for the remaining costs of CHF 15.2 million. Overall, construction is expected to take around three years; completion is scheduled for 2025. (bw)
