Franklinturm – the new centre of Oerlikon

Everyone is talking about northern Zurich – and with good reason.

Oerlikon is justifiably frequently named as a trendy new place to be. It is growing and changing more quickly than any other district of Zurich. More and more young people are moving there and more than 2,000 new apartments were built there last year. Its dynamic development is supported by ideal transport links to eastern Switzerland, to the airport and to Zurich main station. Oerlikon is set to become a desirable service centre in the coming years.
The latest milestones in its development are the re-opening of the extended railway station in 2016 and the opening of the newly completed Andreasturm in 2018: Oerlikon now has the sixth-biggest station in Switzerland with over 100,000 people using it daily. It is an urban hub for creative people.

New urban link
The next highlight is on its way: on Hofwiesenstrasse, right by the station, the Franklinturm will rise up – a modern building with 15,000 square metres of space for offices and services, including an attractive retail and gastronomy area on the ground floor.
One unique feature of the new building is that it will offer a way into the central pedestrian tunnel, so it will be almost directly connected to Oerlikon station, granting tenants, passers-by and customers easy access. It will provide a new urban link between the station and the Leutschenbach residential complex. This major construction project is designed to meet the requirements of the “Platinum” certificate issued by the Swiss Sustainable Building Council. Construction begins in 2019 and completion is scheduled for the end of 2022.
The Franklinturm will become the counterpart of the Andreas­turm, which SBB Real Estate built on the eastern side of the station. The Franklinturm is designed by Armon Semadeni Architects. It is tiered at the top, so it fits in well with the Neumarkt tower block, which is 20 metres shorter, and the neighbouring Swissôtel, which is a few metres taller. The existing tower blocks and those in planning are changing the skyline around Oerlikon station in this important Zurich hub. The city of Zurich initiated a development process more than ten years ago to improve the quality of life in this former industrial area in a sustainable way.
Thomas Rinas, the project manager, highlights the advantages of the Franklinturm:
“One big advantage is the multi-functional space at the Franklinturm. Whether it’s for a small technology company, or for a big corporate tenant which requires a staff restaurant including a terrace, maximum space efficiency, indoor and outdoor parking and catering on the ground floor, the Franklinturm offers all of these options.
The great view and the central location directly by Oerlikon station are added benefits that are important to today’s employees.
Some floors have already been let, four years before completion. This shows the quality of the Franklinturm.
The Franklinturm focuses on the essential, even when it comes to parking. There is no need to waste time and energy squeezing into narrow parking spaces here. Instead, vehicles will be parked automatically while tenants are already on their way into the office and will be ready for departure on demand.”