Office Building Façade Renovation at Gartenstrasse 14 in Zurich

Although the perimeter-block building from the early 1920s has already undergone a number of renovations, the most recent of these was carried out many years ago. It was therefore time not only to modernize the façade, but also to improve the building’s energy-efficiency performance. In order to again ensure a long service life, large-format, fixed-glazing windows with lateral, partially burglar-proof casements in wood/metal were installed. On the first floor, these were supplemented with floor-height, burglar-resistant window casements, also in wood/metal. In order to give the façade a more strikingly rectilinear profile, fiberglass reinforced concrete slabs were arranged on the outside in the opaque area. These slabs feature multiple recesses and also provide for the window sills. A sophisticated joint was selected to ensure the proper drainage of rainwater.

However, the project’s special planning challenge consisted of completing the façade renovation without interrupting the use of the building. Using the approach already described in connection with the competition, EBP ensured that the office employees would enjoy a maximum degree of comfort throughout the short renovation phase.