The total area of Europaallee is approximately 78,000 m². The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) as owner and developer are building around 400 new apartments on the site. With Zurich main station within walking distance and opportunities to work, shop, and dine nearby, the district represents the new center of life for many people.
The so-called “Construction Site F” covers a total of about 39,000 m². On 28,000 m² of this, according to the plans of the Zurich office Boltshauser Architekten, a building for 168 rental apartments (16,300 m² of living space) is being constructed. Additionally, offices (7,500 m²), shops and services (800 m²), gastronomy (500 m²), and much more will find space there. Construction work began in 2016 and is scheduled to be completed in 2019. Great importance is attached to the new facade made of glass and natural stone. The combination of modern transparency with high-quality Sellenberg shell limestone and red Main sandstone gives the building—and thus the entire residential district—a friendly face and a representative appearance. Beyond aesthetics, the reliability of the building envelope plays the most important role. Because when facades fail, they endanger public safety as well as life and limb. Therefore, the correct choice and application of anchors are very important.
When anchoring the natural stone elements, the company Zeidler & Wimmel from Kirchheim/Unterfranken, which was commissioned for this, worked closely with the ACT facade specialists of the Fischer Group. This collaboration resulted in the use of around 55,000 Fischer FZP undercut anchors. This facade fastening offers higher holding forces and is suitable for lower plate bending moments than conventional systems, and is installed invisibly from the outside, form-fitting, and completely free of expansion pressure in the undercut drilled hole of the natural stone.
