The reception building of Stadelhofen station was built in 1894 by Gustav Wülfke, a student of Gottfried Semper. As head of the structural engineering department, Wülfke drew various station buildings for the former Swiss Nordostbahn. The typology of the late classicist construction is based on the Tuscan country villas popular at the time.

In 1924, the building was extended by two axes, the lateral summer shelters were removed; in 1991, the reception building was extensively renovated by Arnold Amsler. Apart from the exterior masonry, no original substance was preserved. It was not until 2001 that the building was protected - in conjunction with the passage of Santiago Calatrava.

Our task was to refurbish the façade according to the criteria of historic preservation. However, the color background presented itself very heterogeneous. In 1991, the plaster of the side wings had been chipped off and the stone of the middle risalite had been subsequently removed. Internal granite cladding had weakened the walls' ability to breathe. The original color scheme could therefore no longer be reconstructed. Arnold Amsler had opted for very restrained blue tones. In cooperation with the preservation of historical monuments and the company Fontana & Fontana, we developed a color concept that was somewhat more similar to the earthy tones of the Semperian era. The side wings, which were extended in 1924, were deliberately contrasted more strongly, and the relief of the damaged house stones was optically corrected with a glaze technique.

An important part of the project was the extension of the square-side facade illumination to the side facades. Our concept followed the criteria of Plan Lumière. The free-standing building should also be perceived as a body at night. Non-standard lights were removed, new pendant lights on the canopies formulate the space underneath. Temporary railings have been replaced by forged ones that gently lean against the existing formal language.

Client
Swiss Federal Railways SBB AG,
Real Estate Management Region East

Vulkanplatz 11, 8048 Zurich

Services Baumgartner + Partner
Overall management, architecture, construction management

Team of planners and specialists
Lighting design: Vogt Partner, Winterthur
Specialist natural stone: Gregor Frehner AG, Winterthur
Specialist plastering: BWS Laboratory AG, Winterthur
Specialist painting work: Fontana & Fontana AG, Rapperswil-Jona

Implementation: August 2018 to November 2018 
Construction costs (BKP 1-5): CHF 1.1 million