Greener flying: Zurich Airport builds sustainably with wood / © Flughafen Zürich AG[/caption]
Zurich Airport is one of the most important airports in Europe. In addition, a new standard is now being set there in terms of sustainability, as the new Dock A is to be made primarily of wood.
An undertaking that may seem surprising at first glance – an airport made of wood, how is that supposed to work? But the winners of the international competition for the design of the new building were able to use their design “Space frame” obviously inspire. The brains behind Raumfachwerk are the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), HOK, 10:8 Architects, Buro Happold, Pirmin Jung and NACO. Your project is probably the largest wooden-based airport dock.
Sustainable all-round package: Dock A’s design uses wood and solar energy
A lot is planned: seven floors, wooden ceilings more than twelve meters high, which are suspended in wooden trusses, as well as supporting systems on V-shaped wooden columns and wooden framework on the outer walls. An atrium will connect all seven floors.
The main material of the floors, walls and ceilings is the local wood Timber. The wooden construction is supported by a reinforced concrete substructure.
The design is thus based on the Swiss tradition of building with wood. But the use and reference to nature does not end there.
For example, sunlight enters the interior through huge floor-to-ceiling windows. The roof is also adorned with solar shingles to harness the sun as an source of energy. This could cover two thirds of the energy required by the dock.
Cooling and heating systems are also based on a combination of water and air. A sustainability all-round package, so to speak.
Zurich Airport relies on sustainable architecture with wood / © Flughafen Zürich AG
10 years of construction – new construction to begin in 2030
The construction of Dock A is to start in 2030 and the project will take 10 years to complete. The costs amount to around 700 million Swiss francs.
The current dock, which is to be replaced by the new building after 35 years in operation, will remain in operation for the time being during the construction phase.
And this until the construction of the wooden Dock A is completed and operations can be transferred there. The current dock will then be dismantled in order to finally hand over its full use to the sustainable wooden Dock A project.
