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Inside the New Tamedia Building in Zürich

Tamedia Building in Zürich by Shigeru Ban
 
The media group Tamedia has unveiled its new seven story wooden headquarters in the heart of Zurich, said to be the tallest building of its kind in the world. Japanese star architect Shigeru Ban relied heavily on Swiss timber expertise.

Tamedia Building in Zürich by Shigeru Ban
 
The first thing you see when you enter the building, which is situated along the river Sihl, are the massive wooden columns - an imposing yet elegant presence. Further inside, there are columns placed closely together in a style evocative of Japanese temples.

Tamedia Building in Zürich by Shigeru Ban
 
Ban, who faced no competition to win the contract, had to fulfill three criteria set out by Tamedia chairman Pietro Supino: A pleasant working environment, durability and reasonable costs.

Tamedia Building in Zürich by Shigeru Ban
 
"I thought that wood would be perfect for this project," said Ban, who is famous for his cardboard structures and striving to minimize waste. He also underlined the important role played by Swiss timber construction engineer Hermann Blumer in the Zurich project.

Read the full interview with Shigeru Ban here.

 

More Information

- History of the Tamedia building

Tamedia Building in Zürich by Shigeru Ban(Copyright by Kuniko Satonobu/swissinfo.ch, content provided by swissinfo.ch swissinfo.ch, photographs copyright by Shigeru Ban, Reto Oeschger/Tamedia)

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swissinfo.ch is the international branch of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Its role is to report on Switzerland and to provide a Swiss perspective on international events.

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