Winterthur’s Grüze innovation lab opens in May
The Grüze innovation laboratory is being built in Winterthur next to the Grüze crossing construction site. The modular, expandable, filigree building made of extra-thin and recyclable CPC concrete slabs is intended to be a field of experimentation and a place for discussions about urban planning and climate change.
In May 2024, the Grüze Innovation Lab will open on St.Gallerstrasse in Winterthur. According to a press release, it is planned as a versatile meeting place where visitors can find out about the large-scale Grüze crossing construction site. In addition, the filigree building, which is open on all sides, will be a place for discussions on urban development issues, possible conflicting goals and the effects of climate change on the urban population.
The approximately 120 square metre pavilion with exhibition space, stage and café has a modular design and can be extended in modules. The statics were designed for a two-storey, closed building. This takes into account the possibility that the innovation lab could grow into a neighbourhood centre with increased space requirements in the medium term. For the time being, it is planned for a useful life of ten years.
The innovation lab was developed by the Winterthur Civil Engineering Office in collaboration with the Department of Architecture, Design and Civil Engineering at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and Holcim Switzerland. The extra-thin and recyclable concrete slabs made of carbon fibre-reinforced concrete (CPC) from CPC AG reportedly save up to 75 percent material compared to conventional concrete construction methods. CO2 emissions are to be reduced by a factor of two to four.
The CPC concrete elements, which emerged from a long-term research project at the ZHAW, can be dismantled into their component parts with little effort and rebuilt elsewhere or reused for another structure. Holcim produces them and makes them available on loan. The prefabricated elements are assembled within a few days in the spring.