What’s really planned for the Dreispitz

Where vacant premises now dominate and shop windows are hidden behind masking tape, a vibrant urban neighbourhood is set to emerge by 2033. Baloise has given the go-ahead for four new buildings on the Dreispitz site in Dietikon. An 80-metre-high tower block will mark the start of this new chapter.

The Dreispitz centre at the Bunker junction, where Badenerstrasse meets Überlandstrasse, is no longer a showpiece. Baloise, the owner of the site, has now pulled the plug, and the decision is to demolish the building and construct a new one.

Six teams, one winner
Out of a design competition with six entrants, the architectural firms Penzel Valier and Robertneun emerged as the winners. Renovation proposals were also accepted, but failed to convince the jury. The jury concluded that the new buildings would solve the site’s key access problem more effectively than any renovation.

Four buildings, one promise
The winning project envisages four buildings: three with five to seven storeys and an 80-metre-high tower block right next to the Bunker junction. Residential use dominates, with 80 to 90 per cent of the usable floor area earmarked for flats. The current 60 units will be transformed into around 300 family flats, with compact layouts for smaller households and flexible units in the high-rise forming a mixed-use offering.

Not a PR project, but urban policy
According to the City of Dietikon’s high-rise concept, the Bunker junction is a strategically important location for high-rise buildings of up to 80 metres, comparable to the Limmat Tower. It also marks the transition to Niderfeld, where up to 3,700 residents and 2,700 jobs are set to be created. The Westspitz project thus forms part of an urban development strategy focused on densification and connectivity.

Tight schedule
The design planning process began in the summer of 2025. Over the course of two years, Baloise will clarify urban planning, legal and environmental details. The municipal council and the Canton of Zurich must then approve the plan. If everything goes according to plan, construction work will begin in 2030 and continue until 2032.

What will happen to the current tenants
According to Baloise, current residents and commercial tenants are being kept regularly informed. A specific relocation plan is currently being drawn up.

Text: Christoph Grüninger • Images: westspitz dietikon