The first building in Switzerland by star architect Shigeru Ban:
The new publishing house of the Swiss media group Tamedia in Zurich with Duravit design

In the course of a century of Swiss media history, the Werdareal site in Zurich has become an important location for the publishing group Tamedia. Reason enough to expand it and build an iconic workplace for 480 staff that is made of wood and glass: The first building in Switzerland by the Japanese star architect and Pritzker Prize winner Shigeru Ban creates a new architectural landmark.

Shigeru Ban’s concepts are considered crucial to the present and are characterized by the simplicity of traditional Japanese architecture. Ban perfectly combines eastern and western designs and methods: He uses elements from classic Japanese architecture and re-interprets them with western influences. A wide range of projects, from residential homes to churches or museums, such as the art museum Centre Pompidou in Metz, illustrate how he develops his ideas for conventional uses too. All of his designs focus on the character of a house and not on glittering facades.

The building speaks the architectural language of its neighborhood Aussersihl and adapts to the district’s prevailing building style despite a French roof and an elevated first floor. The sustainable building method and the construction material are impressive features: The support structure made of 70,630 cubic feet of white wood distinguishes the building. The generous glass facade provides a bright and friendly sense of space. All restrooms in the 7-story building are equipped with Duravit products from the series Vero and Starck 3.

The minimization of energy and resource consumption is an objectives pursued in the construction and all life cycles of the publishing house. The double-skin facade facing the river Sihl acts as a climatic buffer and natural ventilation system and accommodates meeting rooms and lounges that can be opened towards the river. The use of the renewable building material wood has kept emissions low during the building phase already. The building is operated CO2-free and without the use of nuclear power. The heating and cooling system uses groundwater and eliminates the need for fossil fuels.