20 Apr 2022
The Lokstadt site development in Winterthur has reached another important milestone: On January 27, 2022, the study contract for the Rocket and Tigerli building complex was completed. red KG AG supported the study contract in order to optimally implement the hotel use in construction site 4b.
Implenia is developing and realizing the Rocket and Tigerli building complex, the last Lokstadt construction site 4b, on behalf of Ina Invest. The jury included the client, the city of Winterthur, and renowned Swiss architects and experts.
The design by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, Copenhagen, and Cometti Truffer Hodel Architects, Lucerne, emerged as the winning project, prevailing over proposals from eight other top-tier teams. The concept impresses with its diverse qualities and forms a superb architectural conclusion to the area's development. The urban planning approach is based on the placement of several freestanding buildings along the outer edges of the site. The Rocket high-rise, with a total height of 100 meters, is located on Lokstadt's most prominent public square, Dialogplatz. The innovative timber construction, developed specifically for high-rise buildings by Implenia in collaboration with ETH Zurich and WaltGalmarini, is clad in terracotta facades. The design of the spacious inner courtyard will be characterized by lush green spaces.
The Rocket high-rise will house a variety of apartments, while the Tigerli building will contain student and non-profit housing as well as part of the Radisson RED Hotel. This hotel building faces the listed Lokstadt halls and will be connected to the other part of the hotel located there via an industrial footbridge.
The non-anonymous study commission was conducted as a digital, single-stage process with prequalification and interim review. Participants were given an extremely challenging task to complete, which, in addition to urban planning and architectural aspects, also placed great emphasis on sustainability and innovation.
The Rocket and Tigerli building complex is scheduled for planning and construction by 2026. This will complete the implementation of the public development plan for the Sulzerareal Werk 1 site, which was approved by the voters of Winterthur in 2015.