Kerzers: Ground-breaking ceremony for the new flower exchange
At the beginning of June, one year after the signing of the TU works contract between Losinger Marazzi AG and the Berner Blumenbörsen cooperative, construction of the new Engrosmarkt began with a ground-breaking ceremony in Kerzers (FR).
The current premises of the Bern Flower Exchange Cooperative in the Wankdorf district are getting on in years and offer too little space. The flower exchange will relocate its headquarters with around 40 employees and its specialist market to Kerzers (FR). The new location, which Losinger Marazzi is responsible for developing and realizing, is expected to attract a larger customer base, including from western Switzerland.
Losinger Marazzi offered the Flower Exchange a 20,000 square meter building plot in Kerzers in 2020 and also supported them in their search for a loan and in the sale of the existing property. The project developed by Losinger Marazzi and the Lausanne architectural firm Kunik de Morsier envisages a two-storey building in a timber hybrid construction. The central part consists of a spacious atrium and a marketplace with access to the various areas, such as the greenhouse, the flower hall, the nursery and the garden accessories; a cafeteria with an outdoor terrace and rooms for training courses and events are also planned on the upper floor.
The heat supply from district heating (via a wood-fired power plant), the use of rainwater for irrigation and the photovoltaic system, which goes well beyond the legally required minimum with the aim of covering a large part of the building's own requirements, are intended to contribute to the sustainability of the project. Terrabloc walls made of clay brick masonry, which are characterized by their reduced CO2 footprint and positive effect on the indoor climate, will be installed in the marketplace and cafeteria areas. The construction work is expected to take 18 months. The flower exchange is scheduled to move in November 2024. (bw)
