Sulzer Factory Area
| Name | Sulzer Areal | |
| Place | Winterthur | |
| Country | Switzerland | |
| Topic | Redevelopment Sulzer Factory area | |
| Research | Roman Häne | |
| Completion | Please enter the date of completion | |
| Client | Sulzer Immobilien AG, Winterthur | |
| Project costs | Please enter the costs (if known) | |
| [diashow[1]] | ||
| <googlemap version="0.9" lat="47.497169" lon="8.723102" type="satellite" zoom="15" width="300" height="250">
</googlemap> | ||
Rationale: Why is this case study interesting?
The history of the former factory area provides a new quarter with a unique identity.
Author's perspective
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urban context
- Centrally located former industrial site (industrial use from 1843 to 1989)
- Overall site area: 20 hectares
- Mix of use: 34% service and light industrial; 32.5% housing; 9% leisure; 22% education; 2.5% retail
Biogeography, cultural features, overall character, history and dynamics
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Cultural/social/political context
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History
The largest Swiss project to preserve industrial assets is in Winterthur. The Sulzer Company owned 22 hectares of industrial areas in the City and another 55 hectares in Oberwinterthur. In 1970 Sulzer employed 43000 people worldwide, and 15000 in Winterthur. Until 2006 the machine building company reduced 96% of the jobs in Winterthur. Only 600 employees are left under the company's name today. During the clash, Sulzer planned a project to demolish all the factories in the central area of the town. A strong opposition and the difficulty of finding tenants for offices in the newly planed buildings caused Sulzer to a change it’s mind.. In 2003 the real estate experts at Sulzer and the local authorities signed a town planning project, which included the preservation of 20 out of the 100 buildings. The legally binding plan also determines building lines along the roads in that area; demolitions, new buildings and renovations are included. The plan guarantees the preservation of the urban structures that have grown over the past 170 years in this industrial area. (Bärtschi 1990, P. 12 – 44.)
Spatial analysis of area/project/plan
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Analysis of program/function
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Analysis of design/planning process
Phase 1: The first redevelopment plans were commissioned through the owners' immediately after the site had been vacated in 1989. Master planners for this project were Burkhardt Partner and most of the building stock was scheduled for demolition. This caused significant opposition within the local community and the city council.
Phase 2: In 1990 the City of Winterthur re-zoned the area as mixed-use and made detailed planning and design compulsory for the permission for redevelopment. In 1992 a design competition for the central production hall was launched and won by Jean Nouvel. He suggested a mix of housing and light industry, but the owners were not able to find an investor. In 2001 the project was eventually shelved.
Phase 3: Since 1992 parts of the buildings were let to intermediate users. Bars, artist’s studios, start-ups and crafts workshops settle on the site. The "Zürcher Hochschule Winterthur" University began occupying large former production premises as early as 1991.
Phase 4: In 2001 a new master plan was developed by Metron AG. It allowed a slow, step-by-step development of the site and earmarked most of the building stock for conversion rather than redevelopment. The new master plan included a design framework for public and green spaces as well as a detailed heritage assessments and agreements. The owners (Sulzer AG) undertook significant preparatory works, to be retrieved through future sales of real estate. The pioneering users were part of the concept and would be allowed to stay in their premises in order to provide a wider range of uses. The overall aim was to create a thoroughly mixed, lively, socially inclusive urban neighbourhood. (cabe.org)
Analysis of use/users
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Future development directions
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Peer reviews or critique
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Points of success and limitations
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References
cabe.org.uk
sulzerareal.com
krahnbahn.ch
lokomotive-winterthur.ch
sieb10.ch
Bärtschi 1990: Winterthur Industriestadt im Umbruch. Wetzikon 1990
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