The headquarters of the Tamedia media concern is a 5-storey timber-framed building with a fully glazed facade. Buildings of this type are prohibited by Japanese regulations, and there such a combination is generally considered dubious from a technical point of view, while in Switzerland it is quite common.
However, the wooden structure itself was erected quite in the spirit of Japanese traditions - without nails, screws and glue: instead of them, joints such as a toothed cut were used. Bahn collaborated on the project with Swiss timber engineer Hermann Blumer, who previously worked with him to design
Pompidou-Metz.
But the solid wood structure turned out to be less "filigree" than the architect wanted, due to the fire safety requirements: the supporting frame had to be massive enough to withstand a fire, when only the top layer of beams and supports is charred, and their core remains …
The building received a mansard-type roof so as not to exceed the height of the neighboring buildings, although initially Shigeru Ban wanted to use the higher steep gable roof typical of the surrounding buildings. On the ground floor, a semi-public area is provided, which, according to the architect, is necessary for any media institution.
The double glazed façade serves as a climate "buffer" and provides the interior with sunlight, while opening windows make it possible to do without air conditioning.
The construction with a budget of 50 million Swiss francs and an area of almost 9 thousand m2 took more than 2,000 cubic meters of spruce wood from the Austrian state of Styria. This is the first Shigeru Bana building in Switzerland, but the second will be ready soon:
complex for the Swatch Group company.
