Bern: Groundbreaking ceremony for WankdorfCity II
On September 11, the City of Bern, SBB and Mobiliar celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for WankdorfCity II, marking the start of the district's further development.
WankdorfCity is a milestone in urban development, said City President Alec von Graffenried at the groundbreaking ceremony. Until now, it has been a service district, but now it will be "awakened to urban life" with new apartments, a hotel and leisure uses. This mix of uses is crucial for a new quarter to function, he said.
By the beginning of 2020, SBB will construct the "Byte" IT building, which will provide workplaces for around 1,800 employees. Mobiliar is the investor in the TRIO building complex, which will be built by the end of 2019. In addition to retail and office space, TRIO also includes 72 apartments, a hotel operated by SV, and 158 residential units for students and teaching staff. Both construction projects are being carried out by Losinger Marazzi. A few days ago, the building lease contracts for the large-scale project were signed.
First Moxy Hotel in German-speaking Switzerland
Swiss Mobiliar, as the final investor, is realizing the three-part TRIO building complex with partners. In Building 1, a 54-meter-high high-rise, a total of 72 1.5- to 3.5-room apartments (8th-15th floors) and 20 long-stay apartments of the Berner Studenten Logierhaus association (6th-7th floors) are being built. In addition, there is 4,300 sqm of office space as well as retail space on the first floor.
In Building 2, 138 studios and shared apartments are planned, as well as retail space on the first floor. In the third building, SV Hotel is realizing the first Moxy Hotel in German-speaking Switzerland with 130 rooms and 62 micro apartments.
SBB builds office building and expands Wankdorf station
SBB will create workplaces in the "Byte" office building for employees who are currently spread across five locations in the Bern area. As at SBB headquarters, the desk-sharing model will be used here, meaning that employees will no longer have fixed workstations. The office environments can also be adapted to the needs of projects and different forms of collaboration.
With the development of Wankdorf City, Wankdorf station is also to be expanded into a mobility hub. As a first measure, a new outdoor platform with a direct connection to Max-Daetwyler-Platz will be opened on October 2 as part of the "Entflechtung Wylerfeld" infrastructure project. Further measures to increase the capacity of the station are planned, according to SBB.
