In January 2023, the building permit for the construction of the high-rise residential building was successfully granted after a very short approval period and after no objections were received. Construction began in August 2023 and since then the total contractor HRS has been intensively involved in preparing the construction site. With the laying of the foundation stone, the master builder is now taking over and the construction cranes will be erected soon.

In addition to an urban loggia and a publicly accessible square, communal rooms and studios will also be created for the residents of the 25-storey tower block. On the ground floor, retail and service areas are planned on around 2,100 m² of usable space and a catering use is envisaged. HIAG has already signed a long-term lease agreement with a food retailer for this purpose, with the opening scheduled for completion in March 2026.

Symbolic act
The laying of the foundation stone was celebrated together with the Total entrepreneur, the responsible architects and other project participants as well as neighbours. Marco Feusi, CEO of building owner HIAG, Rebecca Kull, COO and owner of HRS Real Estate, and Andreas Sonderegger, partner of the responsible architectural firm 'pool Architekten', gave a short speech. Together, they filled a time capsule and sank it into the ground, thus laying the first foundation stone for the upcoming construction work.

Sustainability takes centre stage
During project development, HIAG placed a strong focus on sustainability by planning a resource-saving concrete structure and well thought-out greening of the open spaces. A contemporary mobility concept is also intended to reduce dependence on individual vehicles and improve the quality of living in the neighbourhood.

"ALTO" will be the first residential tower block in the canton of Zurich with a photovoltaic system integrated into the façade. Extensive fire tests were successfully carried out for this purpose, including two floors of the residential tower block being realistically reconstructed and set on fire. After completion, almost all of the electricity produced by the PV façade will be consumed directly by the tenants and the building.

HIAG is also realising a so-called wastewater heat recovery system in the high-rise residential building, whereby the waste heat from the wastewater is used directly to heat the domestic hot water.

The "ALTO" project also has an SNBS Gold pre-certificate (Swiss Sustainable Building Standard). HIAG thus guarantees that the project fulfils the highest sustainability requirements in the areas of environment, society and economy (ESG). The official certificate will be issued after the planned completion in 2026.

© Images: Andrea Berger, pool Architekten