immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Bahnhof Winterthur

  • Test planning for urban space at Winterthur railway station

    Test planning for urban space at Winterthur railway station

    The city of Winterthur and SBB developed the “Winterthur 2045” railway station expansion concept between 2019 and 2021. A new Vogelsang Nord terminus station was identified as the preferred solution to cope with increasing passenger volumes. At the same time, the platforms of the existing seven through tracks are to be widened.

    With these changes, the urban space around the station must also be rethought. Test planning is to analyse the potential and challenges and develop an overall strategy for the area around the station.

    Testplanning as the basis for a new master plan
    The test planning focuses on the areas of Bahnhofplatz and St. Georgenplatz, Rudolfstrasse and the southern railway station subway. The aim is to develop an overall urban development and transport strategy.

    • Quality of stay and climate adaptation in public spaces
    • Reorganisation of bus stops for better traffic routing
    • Optimisation of pedestrian and bicycle traffic
    • Categorisation of other modes of transport

    The area of the future Vogelsang Nord terminus station is excluded from this planning and will be dealt with separately.

    Involvement of the population and interest groups
    In order to ensure broad acceptance and viability of the solutions, the test planning is accompanied by a participatory process. Around 40 neighbourhood organisations, interest groups, political representatives and landowners will be actively involved in the design and discussion of the interim results.

    An electronic participation portal and participatory events are planned for the wider population. An initial echo chamber was held in February 2024 to clarify the planning brief.


    Starting signal for the new planning in 2025
    The City Council has approved a loan of CHF 780,000 to carry out the test planning. The planning will start in 2025 and is expected to last until 2026. It will form the basis for a new masterplan for the railway station urban space.

    The first masterplan has almost been implemented
    The first masterplan for Winterthur’s main railway station was developed back in 2009. Many measures from this were realised, including the redesign of the bus station with a mushroom roof, the northern pedestrian subway, new bicycle stations and the Neuwiesen traffic concept. The final work on the western side of the station should be completed by summer 2025.

    With the new test planning for the station urban space, Winterthur is now setting the course for the coming decades. The aim is to create a modern, sustainable and functional urban space.

  • Signal Box 2: More Mobilie than Real Estate?

    Signal Box 2: More Mobilie than Real Estate?

    On the former milk kitchen site at Winterthur station, directly next to the current signal box 1, the new signal box 2 is being built. It is a mixed-use, modern seven-storey building.

    The first and first floors with a total of around 2200 square metres are intended for offices, medical practices and service businesses. The office space is designed for flexibility and can easily be adapted to new space requirements. On the ground floor, 700 square metres of retail space are planned, and in the basement, an expansion of the municipal bicycle station by around 500 parking spaces is planned.

    On the upper floors, 66 flats ranging in size from 33 to 80 square metres are being built on 3200 square metres. These are especially tailored to people who appreciate the central location and optimal connections to public transport. In addition to the apartments, there is a range of collectively usable spaces, such as a shared office or a launderette.

    The project competition took place in 2018 / 2019. First place went to Esch Sintzel Architekten.

    They designed a building with a calm, symmetrical overall form and curved flanks that curve inwards. They wanted to create a building that appears to be more mobilia than real estate. Like the corners on railway or tram carriages, the ends of the building are bevelled.

    The SBB relay room that already exists today gives signal box 2 its name. It is located at the level of the first basement floor and will be partially covered by the new building. The relay room is the heart of the interlocking system at Winterthur station. Countless cables, switches and motors converge here, which are used to set the points and routes of the trains.

    The approval procedure for the construction took place in 2021/2022. Construction of signal box 2 is scheduled to begin at the end of 2024, and commissioning is planned for the beginning of 2027.

  • "Stellwerk 2": In tune with the times

    "Stellwerk 2": In tune with the times

    The first stage, the “Stellwerk 1” office building, was completed in 2010 right next to the historic station building. In addition, the elongated property between the tracks and the station square remained in an exposed location, next to the Wülflingerstrasse underpass. The new "Stellwerk 2" building will be built on this centrally located open space, on which the SBB staff restaurant was formerly located and which houses an underground signal box that is to be preserved. The area forms the north-eastern end of a high-quality urban space that has undergone significant changes in recent years, emphasizes the team of architects. A new building in this exposed location will be very easy to see from many sides, which underlines its importance as an important building block in Winterthur's urban structure, according to the architects. "Stellwerk 2" is a mixed-use building with seventy apartments, two office floors, retail and catering areas on the ground floor and 500 bicycle parking spaces in the basement. ■