The Wagi Area
Initial Situation 2005
The Wagi area is the first industrial area in Schlieren to be used for other purposes. In 1899 the luxury carriage factory, Geissberger&Cie, which later became the world-famous Swiss Wagon and Elevator Factory AG, started production. It had previously been based in Zurich. After production ceased in 1983, restructuring took place in the area of the Wagon Factory Schlieren. A number of the old factory buildings were integrated, but the major part of the buildings were torn down and rebuilt. Today, research, technology and media companies are moving in next to a large shopping center.
Goals 2005
To secure and develop Schlieren economically it is necessary to continue with image enhancement and to develop the individual areas in cooperation with the location and business promoters and the owners. One of Schlieren’s main goals is to attract future-oriented organizations (clustering), which would mean a higher tax income. An increase in density and the definition of the existing structures is a prime issue in the Wagi area. In principle, a mixed-use model is also possible in the Wagi area. The possibility of allocating 20-50% of the property for residential purposes must be looked into. Again, one must take into consideration that residential development only makes sense in an area which is attractive to live in. A vertical mix of dwellings and business is conceivable. A study exists for the Wagi area with plans for the demolition of the halls in the eastern section and their replacement with high-rise buildings. The goal is a new, mixed town neighborhood. There is an ongoing architectural competition to find solutions for new laboratory spaces in a densely populated new Wagi district.
Summary of the development 2005–2020
The Wagi site has remained a purely commercial area; no apartments have been created. In 2009, a private design plan was enacted that called for the construction of four high-rise buildings. Three of them have been realized in the meantime: The new Bio-Technopark Schlieren with around 50 companies, academic institutions, start-ups and clinics in the life science sector. This has created an important international research location for the Zurich metropolitan region. Small-scale commerce - auto repair shops, metalworking, a laundry, handicraft businesses - continues to occupy about half of the site.
A comprehensive final evaluation of Schlieren's urban development will be published in the book "Stadtwerdung im Zeitraffer," published by Scheidegger & Spiess, Zurich, in 2023.
www.scheidegger-spiess.ch
