Building the Future at Irchel

Irchel Campus is a remarkable example of modern construction in Zurich. The oldest part of today’s complex was built according to plans by architect Max Ziegler starting in 1973. Modular, neatly tucked into the landscape and able to be implemented in phases, the Ziegler plan has stood the test of time. “The plan is robust and still works, even for the upcoming developments,” says François Chapuis, Vice President Real Estate and Facility Management at UZH.

The first buildings on University of Zurich’s new Irchel Campus opened their doors in 1978, with four additional phases of expansion continuing until 1995. After 46 years of operations, there is now a great need for more space on campus, and the buildings from the 70s no longer meet today’s requirements. “We need to renovate and renew the buildings on Irchel Campus,” says Roland Sigel, dean of the Faculty of Science. The building technology is so out of date that replacement parts are hard to come by. Longer or more frequent power outages could jeopardize laboratory research – a situation that must be avoided at all costs. That’s why Irchel Campus, which is home to scientific, medical and veterinary units using specialized teaching and research infrastructure, is set to be modernized over the next 25 years. The proposed new building PORTAL UZH will play a central role on the upgraded campus; it will be located at the entry to the site, along with the already extant State Archives of the Canton of Zurich. The new building will be constructed on the western part of Mitte campus near Winterthurerstrasse, blending in with the existing complex.

PORTAL UZH is a wood and cement hybrid building consisting of two high rises joined by a shared base structure. The front building, which will be erected directly on the central axis, will house a new cafeteria, lecture halls and seminar rooms as well as teaching and studying spaces for students, researchers and staff. The rear building will be home to labs, offices and spaces for socializing. Technical and logistics systems providing the entire campus with heat, cooling, electricity, ventilation and water will move underground, replacing the original equipment from the 70s.

An Anergy grid will store the waste heat from cooling in geothermal probes and use it for heating in the winter. This will allow UZH to be almost completely self-sufficient when it comes to its heating and cooling needs. The facade of PORTAL UZH is inspired by elements of the existing buildings and reinterprets them using new materials. The interior of the new building will have a powerful space concept that advances the vision of Max Ziegler’s architecture. The courtyard overlooking the lecture halls, the terraces, the backlit spiral staircase and the building’s robust dimensions – all of these elements will come together to create a multifaceted space in which people can meet and interact.

In addition to PORTAL UZH, there are a number of other building projects planned through 2050 (see box). But what will happen to research and teaching during the renovations? “We want to avoid building any temporary structures, which are expensive and not sustainable,” explains Chapuis. UZH is therefore planning to renovate groups of buildings in phases. While one group of structures is being renovated, users are temporarily housed in another building. PORTAL UZH will provide the space required for these staggered renovations, making it a key part of the plan to modernize Irchel Campus.

The competitive contract for PORTAL UZH was awarded to EM2N Architekten and Jaeger Baumanagement in November 2023. Construction is slated to start in 2030 and conclude in 2035. The project is currently in the crucial preliminary planning phase, which sets the course for the planning and construction phases to follow.

The requirements for awarding the contract were based on the canton’s layout plan for Irchel Campus, which provides UZH with long-term planning security. It stipulates that the campus needs to be developed sustainably, in phases, with high-quality structures and with a high level of densification.

Irchel Park, which is enjoyed by both inhabitants and UZH staff alike, is also included in these long-term plans. The park will retain its unique character as a landscape park and be developed further as a recreational area. The general motto is “preserve and upgrade”.