wiel arets clads zurich’s allianz HQ in onyx marble pattern

wiel arets clads zurich’s allianz HQ in onyx marble pattern
photo © jan bitter
all images courtesy of wiel arets architects

designed by dutch practice wiel arets architects, the ‘allianz headquarters’ forms a mixed-use development at the edge of zurich’s city center. comprised of a 20-storey tower and complimented with a five-storey annex, the scheme is envisioned as a landscape of distinct neighborhoods connected with a series of bridges and internally linked through voids and stairways.

the entirety of the lobby and ground floor are open to the public, ensuring a continuous and fluid progression between indoor and outdoor space. a central staircase connects the scheme, rising from the lobby and continuing throughout the structure. a café and restaurant are located on the fifth storey, creating a buffer zone between public and private areas. a business center is located one floor below, containing meeting rooms that enable employees to meet with guests, without the need for elevators.

the design forms a mixed-use development at the edge of zurich’s city center
photos © jan bitter

part of a larger masterplan that requires all of the site’s façades to be composed from natural stone, the design features an abstracted onyx marble pattern that allows the structure to integrate naturally with its surroundings. each part of the elevation contains a closed cavity system, in which an aluminum coated silver curtain hangs. in turn this fluctuates its degree of shading by responding to external environmental factors determined by a computer controlled algorithm.

the development is comprised of a 20-storey tower, complimented with a five-storey annex
photos © jan bitter

inhabitable space occupies the roof of the lower building, with several garden terraces created for employees. these gardens each contain a red japanese maple tree, which echoes the landscaping of the central courtyard below. both buildings are connected through a subterranean car parking garage, providing for up to 300 cars at any one time. internally the program accommodates zones for coffee breaks and lounge areas to generate informal conversation and collaboration within the formal workplace.

the abstracted onyx marble pattern allows the structure to integrate naturally with its surroundings
photo © jan bitter

each part of the elevation contains a closed cavity system, in which an aluminum coated silver curtain hangs
photo © jan bitter

landscaping at ground floor level
photo © jan bitter

the scheme is envisioned as a landscape of distinct neighborhoods connected with a series of bridges
photos © jan bitter

the entirety of the lobby and ground floor are open to the public
photos © jan bitter

a central staircase connects the scheme, rising from the lobby and continuing throughout the structure
photo © jan bitter

a café and restaurant are located on the fifth storey, creating a buffer zone between public and private areas
photos © jan bitter

the allianz headquarters illuminated at night
photo © jan bitter

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project info:

location: richtiplatz 1, 8034 wallisellen, switzerland
program: office
size: 72,000 sqm
design: 2008-2009
completed: spring 2014
project team: wiel arets, felix thies, maik ilmer
collaborators: flavio loretz, jörg lüthke, ruth val garijo, virginia angell, anira niso, angela tsang, mikal switalsky, jacques van eyck, maron vondeling, christina lotzemer jentges, joost körver, ilze paklone, alexandra dobrowowolska, boris van eijsden, joris lens, thomas misik, lucia miglio, hannes scheutz, dunia nedjar, francois steul, alexis bikos, athanasia karaioannoglou, victor hidajat, aline amore, birgit schwarz, tieme zwartbol, boris wolf, chris frodsham, alessandra ferrari, marcos romero
client: allreal generalunternehmung AG, allianz suisse
consultants: GKP fassadentechnik AG, R+B engineering AG, ahochn AG, jäger partner bauingenieure AG, GRP ingenieure, kardorff ingenieure