a brief description of the building
construction volume: 46’178 cubic meters
total floor area:: 8’864 square meters
length of building: 120 meters
floors: 3
partial air conditioning on production floor
delivery to all three floors possible
average costs per square meter: 1'754 CHF
average costs per cubic meter: 336 CHF
situation
a major fire destroyed the eta sa (swatch group) production site 20 in fontainemelon close to neuchâtel. The task was to design and build a cost-efficient, multi-functional plant in as little time as possible. The building should be readily adaptable to any kind of production process, whether it be making watches or baking bread. the tight schedule not only consisted of carrying the plans into execution, but also negotiating with the building insurance company on the damage done by the fire. the contract was awarded to mühlemann + partner for their convincing competition entry, which provided the degree of flexibility intended by the client.
solution
the approach taken by
mühlemann + partner is a
perfect example of how aesthetics can arise out of functionality when
proper care is taken. plenty of glass was used to create bright rooms.
The technical infrastructure was systematically planned so that a
complete alteration of utilization could be carried out at any given
time. as an example, the ventilatory piping runs along the outside of
the building to make space on the inside. In spite of the functional
purpose of the building and the existing cost pressure, aesthetic
details could still be elaborated and accentuated. a bistro was
fashioned to resemble a winter garden, using stone, glass and steel as
building materials. guests or staff treating themselves to a coffee
almost have the feeling of being outdoors. an easy and inexpensive way
to make work just that little bit more pleasurable.
despite its length and size, the building still comes across as light
and elegant. the aluminium walls emphasize the high-tech background.
the green roof creates a balance and lets the building blend in nicely
with the surroundings, this of course being much appreciated by the
neighbouring residents.
today the production plant is the swatch group’s prime
example of functional and aesthetic factory design, setting standards
for other production sites to come. flexibity was maintained at a
maximum by keeping all accessing pathways out of the production zone.
despite difficulties experienced during the construction period, the
project was completed within the proposed budget and swatch was able to
move in three weeks ahead of the scheduled hand-over.
trotz der länge und grösse des bauwerks bleibt der
gesamteindruck von aussen leicht und elegant. die aluminiumfassade
unterstreicht den high-tech-charakter des unternehmens. die
dachbegrünung setzt dazu einen kontrapunkt und
ermöglicht eine optimale integration in den landschaftlichen
kontext. das resultat ist dadurch auch eine zufriedene
dorfbevölkerung.
die fabrik gilt heute sowohl aus funktioneller als auch aus
aesthetischer sicht in der swatch group als vorbild. da
sämtlichte erschliessungen und fixpunkte ausserhalb der
produktionszonen angeordnet sind, konnte ein maximum an
flexibilität erzielt werden.
trotz schwierigkeiten in der bauphase wurde das budget sogar
unterschritten und die swatch konnte drei wochen vor der geplanten
bauübergabe einziehen.
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