Signal Box 2: More Mobilie than Real Estate?
A new, mixed-use building with flats, offices, bicycle parking spaces, retail and gastronomy areas is to be built at Winterthur railway station in the form of Signal Box 2 by 2027. It will complement the existing signal box 1.
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.