The three WolkenWerk residential towers stand on the former industrial and commercial site of Leutschenbach in Zurich’s Oerlikon district. Built to the Minergie standard, they have already received widespread acclaim from architecture professionals. The designers placed great emphasis on a variety of apartment layouts and their connection to outdoor space. WAREMA awnings in a range of colours and fabrics provide solar shading for balconies and loggias while helping to define the buildings’ appearance.

From a former industrial and commercial site to a neighbourhood for living and working: drawing on the industrial heritage of northern Zurich, the architects designed the façades at the base of the three residential towers with a concrete framework and clinker brick infill. WolkenWerk is a joint project by Staufer & Hasler Architekten and von Ballmoos Partner Architekten, completed in 2020.

The complex comprises 314 owner-occupied apartments of different sizes and types, from townhouse-style homes in the lower buildings and family apartments to maisonettes on the upper floors. The ground-level areas also house commercial spaces, including workshops, studios, bars and shops. The “Inner Garden” links public green spaces with the lanes between the buildings. Varied planting, paths and paving create distinct zones and sightlines.

On the residential towers, open areas such as corner balconies and loggias alternate with windows and dark clinker brick infill. Coloured awnings add further accents. Around 1,300 yellow and red WAREMA front-mounted awnings with SecuTex A2 fabric help prevent the apartments from overheating in summer. More than 700 WAREMA window awnings in the lower part of the buildings use Sattler Twilight fabric. These are complemented by around 300 folding arm awnings in front of the loggias and at ground level.

For the window awnings, easyZIP technology provides high wind resistance. A zip guides the fabric along the side rails. This makes it possible to shade larger areas exposed to wind without leaving a gap for light at the sides.

The KNX standard allows various building automation functions to be controlled centrally or automatically. At WolkenWerk, it also controls the solar shading systems.

The window awnings respond automatically to sunlight, frost and wind speed, moving to a protected position when necessary. A KNX weather station is installed on each of the three towers. KNX also enables the many wind zones across the façades to be controlled and the required wind sensors to be integrated.

WAREMA SecuTex A2 fabric combines solar shading with the requirements of preventive fire protection. Certified as non-combustible under DIN 4102-1 and VKF 6q.3/RF1, the fabric can be used outdoors for solar shading and indoors, for example in glare protection roller blinds.

The silicone-coated glass fibre fabric contains no added toxic or hazardous chemicals and produces little smoke in the event of a fire. SecuTex A2 is therefore suitable for applications with increased fire protection requirements.

  • Project: WolkenWerk residential towers
  • Location:Zurich-Leutschenbach, Switzerland
  • Client: Leutschenbach AG, Schwyz, Switzerland
  • Architecture/planning:
    • Staufer & Hasler Architekten, Frauenfeld, Switzerland
    • von Ballmoos Partner Architekten, Zurich, Switzerland
    • Ghisleni Partner AG, Zurich, Switzerland (construction management and general contractor tendering)
  • Landscape design: Mavo Landschaften, Zurich, Switzerland
  • Construction: Implenia AG, Opfikon, Switzerland
  • Completion: 2020

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