Conversion of bank headquarters in a listed office building

Client: Zuger Kantonalbank

Location: Bahnhofstrasse 1, 6300 Zug

Area: 5,146 m²

Completion: 2016

The headquarters of Zuger Kantonalbank on Postplatz was built between 1955-1958. This important building from the early days of our practice is now considered a testimony to post-war modernism with its high quality in terms of urban development, architecture and structure.

The conversion concept carried out over 2013-2016 in cooperation with the cantonal monument preservation authorities is based on the principle of ‘replace rather than remodel’. This means that the existing and new building interpretations are kept separate, with the fundamental approach being developed primarily from the building structure of the upper floors. The surrounding layers of offices, including their external façades, are left unchanged. In contrast to this, a carefully customised new section of building replaces all of the infrastructure rooms. Staircases, lifts, corridors, toilet facilities and side rooms are in turn grouped around an atrium as a stand-alone construction.

The ground floor plays a special role within the building. Its distinctive, representative rooms with their particular use of materials were reconstructed in the best possible way. Essential, building-specific elements that are central to the ground floor and banking clients are retained. This includes in particular the axial sequence of rooms with access from the arcade, the vestibule with the curved staircase, and the counter hall with its large illuminated ceiling.