Refurbishment Office Building

Barbara Wiskemann

The office building at Strassburgstrasse 11, home to the Unia labor union, was built in 1972 by architect Rolf Früh as part of a larger development that included the two neighboring buildings, and was fitted with a new metal-and-glass facade in 2014. Unfortunately, the indoor climate deteriorated afterward, as the building heated up more due to the denser facade and could not be cross-ventilated because of its cubicle-style office layout.
The complete building services renovation in 2022–23 was accompanied by the implementation of a new building services concept designed to reduce operational energy consumption by 80% and, in doing so, eliminate overheating. Since this system relies on the thermal activation of the building structure, as much of the unclad structure as possible had to be left exposed. Architecturally, this resulted in a “raw” structure with exposed columns and ceilings. The design process therefore focused on removing more material than adding new material. The existing concrete structure, which was previously clad with various materials, now defines the interior appearance as a raw skeleton. Another consequence of this concept was visible ductwork, although ventilation ducts were eliminated thanks to air distribution via composite vents in doors and walls. The materials used are as natural as possible: in addition to the raw concrete, the design features wood for all built-in elements, wood wool panels, wool carpeting, and brick.

Project Gallery

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Barbara Wiskemann CH

http://www.neondeiss.ch
Am Wasser 55 | 8049 Zürich