Living experience at airy heights

High-rise buildings in Zurich - Shaping architecture with solar shading

No other place in Zurich (Switzerland) is currently changing as fast as the former Leutschenbach industrial and business park in the Oerlikon district. The three residential towers WolkenWerk by Staufer & Hasler Architekten and Ballmoos Partner Architekten, built according to Minenergie standards and already highly acclaimed in the profession, were recently built here. The architects attached great importance to different types of floor plans and their relationship to outdoor space. In memory of the site's industrial past, the facades of the building base were designed as a structure of concrete with recesses of brick walls. As shading and design support elements, Warema awnings in different colors and fabrics are used on the balconies and loggias.

How quickly the district in northern Zurich is changing can be seen by the dynamic back and forth movement of the many cranes. Away from the former industrial and business area to a lively district for living and working adapted to the requirements of the present time. The latest building block of this development is the WolkenWerk project. The new building complex, consisting of three residential towers of 19 to 22 stories and their pedestal buildings up to four stories high, was completed in 2020 and gradually handed over to the residents and users. Construction of a fourth building, the so-called exhibition tower, will be completed by the end of this year. 

Blending of typologies and uses

The complex includes 314 condominiums, each with a different size and typology. For example, there are terraced-like housing units in the pedestal buildings, single-family homes in the lower part of the apartment buildings and also maisonette homes in the upper floors. In addition, the pedestals house business areas with workshops, studios, bars and stores. Another important component of the new housing development on the Leutschenbach is the "Inner Garden," a weave of public green spaces in the depths of the district. This interlocks with the alleys between the blocks.   

Main features are rich and versatile, climate-resistant planting, non-straightforward paths and different use of ground cover. With these, the responsible architect Martina Voser shaped the different zones and sight axes. 

Structured frames, differentiated appearance 

The complex is built in solid construction. On the outside, this can be seen as suspended concrete framing and narrow, vertical facade elements. In the pedestal buildings, the concrete frames are a reminder of the site's industrial past partially filled in with bricks. At the residential towers, within the grid, open surfaces - corner balconies and loggias - alternate with windows and tiled, dark brick infills. Adding to this is the individual play of colored awnings. Besides the textured concrete structure, these are the external feature that stands out the most. Some 1,300 yellow and red Warema front-building frame screens with non-flammable SecuTex fabric A2 protect the residential units in the towers from overheating. According to the VKF fire safety regulations applicable throughout Switzerland, non-flammable screen fabrics were mandatory here due to the building height of more than 30 meters. 

The aluminum-clad side of the SecuTex reflects heat radiation and helps keep heat inside in winter. The web structure allows sufficient transparency to look outside. Thus, the blinds provide thermal comfort for the user all year round. Sattler Twilight fabric was chosen in the base for the more than 700 Warema screens. In addition, the architects chose around 300 articulated awnings with this fabric in the plinth and for the loggias of the tower floors. The future exhibition tower will also be equipped with Warema screens and the fabrics Twilight and SecuTex.

Wind stability through easyZIP

Safety even in strong winds is guaranteed with the screens thanks to easyZIP technology. The fabric of the fabric runs seamlessly and quietly over a side-mounted zipper in a guide rail. Large areas exposed to the wind can be shaded reliably and functionally without lateral light gaps thanks to high wind stability. 

Functions conveniently linked

With the worldwide standard for home and building automation KNX, various functions in a building can be conveniently linked and controlled, either centrally via a control element or automatically through intelligent sensors. At the WolkenWerk, the control of all shading elements takes place via this standard. Thereby, an automatic shading control has been realized. Depending on the sun's radiation, this automatically provides shade through the screens. In the event of frost or high wind speeds, on the other hand, the blinds are moved to a safe position. A KNX Weather Station was installed on each of the three tower blocks for this purpose. The reason why the architects opted for KNX was the fact that there are many wind zones at the apartment buildings and around 60 façade wind sensors required for this cannot be managed with conventional systems.

Design element and preventive fire protection

The use of the Warema SecuTex fabric A2 on the WolkenWerk brings function and design into harmony. In addition to its use as outdoor sun protection, the fabric certified according to DIN 4102-1 and according to VKF 6q.3/RF1 as non-combustible can also be used indoors in the form of roller blinds that protect against glare. Because the fabric consists of a silicone-coated fiberglass fabric without the addition of toxic or hazardous chemicals. Thus, in the event of a fire, no toxic substances can arise and only minimal smoke is generated. Unlike other fabric awnings, the Warema SecuTex fabric A2 does not therefore become an additional fire accelerant and also prevents life-threatening smoke gas poisoning.