Kilian Weiss 1934 - 2024
Kilian Weiss passed away on January 3, 2024 at the age of 89. As a co-founder, he shaped the history of our company for over three decades. He first came into contact with Heinz Hossdorf's engineering office during his studies at ETH Zurich and worked as an intern in his laboratory. After graduating and gaining his first professional experience in Paris, Kilian Weiss joined Heinz Hossdorf's engineering office in 1963. In the pioneering days of model statics, someone had to take care of the engineering office in addition to the laboratory. Kilian Weiss became managing director and was a partner in Hossdorf and Weiss Ingenieure in 1972. In 1980, he converted the engineering office into the general partnership Weiss-Guillod-Gisi Ingenieure with the two long-standing employees René Guillod and Rudolf Gisi as partners.
Kilian Weiss was an exceptional entrepreneur with broad specialist knowledge, great loyalty, trustworthy business attitude, generosity and humanity. He had a broad network of relationships and won the trust of employees by valuing them and involving them in decision-making processes. This participative management style enabled the company to attract young partners such as Heinrich Schnetzer and Tivadar Puskas in the 1990s, who built up the engineering firm into the current Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure AG.
During his career, Kilian Weiss worked with many clients, including the Basel Zoo (new monkey house and new restaurant building), the Rudolf Steiner School (school on the Jakobsberg), BVB (expansion of workshops and depots), national road construction (Breite highway overpass), the Antikenmuseum (extension building) and Pax Life Insurance (administration building on Aeschenplatz). He retired in 2004.
With his cultivated and charismatic personality, he inspired our company and the people who had the privilege of working with him. We greatly miss his foresighted thinking and his distinctive humanity.
Basel Star 2023 goes to Heinrich Schnetzer and Tivadar Puskas
Since 1995, the "Basler Stern" has been awarded to "personalities who have performed with continuity and passion for Basel for many years and have thus made an impact far beyond the city-canton's borders".
"Heinrich Schnetzer and Tivadar Puskas have indeed made great achievements for decades, they are and were highly respected in the construction industry. However, hardly anyone in the general public knows them," reads today's article in the Basel newspaper bz Basel, which devotes an article to this award and the two engineers.
We feel very honored by this recognition and the light shed on our profession. Our heartfelt thanks to the organizing committee for the award!
Acknowledgement for the Zwhatt high-rise at the Holcim Awards
The Holcim Awards honor sustainable construction projects around the world. The Aknowledgement Europe went to the Zwhatt high-rise, which we are realizing with Roger Boltshauser Architekten. The jury praised the densification, the hybrid construction and the integrated photovoltaics, which generate half of the apartments' electrical energy. The award ceremony took place on November 18 in Venice.
More information: https://www.holcimfoundation.org/projects/high-rise-h1-zwhattt-site
Gutes Bauen Award 2023 - Basel-Landschaft and Basel-Stadt
For the seventh time, the cantons of Basel-Landschaft and Basel-Stadt have jointly honoured "good building" in the Basel region. As planners who "support and foster the process of conceptualisation with their concepts", as jury president Chrissie Muhr put it, we are delighted to be recognised with these awards:
- Community living with commercial premises on the Erlenmatt-Areal Ost: https://www.auszeichnunggutesbauen-bl-bs.ch/auszeichnungen/#wohn-und-gewerbehaeuser-erlenmatt-ost
- Conversion of the former silo building into a meeting and working space: https://www.auszeichnunggutesbauen-bl-bs.ch/auszeichnungen/#umnutzung-silo-erlenmatt
- Innovative timber construction for the headquarters of the Christoph Merian Stiftung: https://www.auszeichnunggutesbauen-bl-bs.ch/auszeichnungen/#hauptsitz-christoph-merian-stiftung
Congratulations to all the project teams!
Competition Wache West and Stadtarchiv, Zurich
We are very excited to have won the competition for a new building hosting both a station of the protection & rescue service as well as the state archives of the city of Zurich. Together with the team of Adrian Streich Architekten and Ganz Landschaftsarchitekt*innen, we proposed to combine the two different uses in an elegant high-rise building. The jury appreciated the team's solution to the challenge of high-quality densification while respecting the listed ensemble of the former slaughterhouse area.
Link to the press release of Stadt Zürich
Titlis Bergbahnen in Engelberg will start construction work on the 3020-meter-high mountain in mid-May. First the beam tower will be extended, then the mountain station, which has been extended several times, will be newly built. The project is scheduled for completion in 2029.
The Freilager school complex in Zurich and the Spore Initiative in Berlin have been nominated for the Building Award in the building construction category. We are excited and looking forward to the award ceremony on June 15!
We are proud of the competition success with Boltshauser Architekten for the denk.mal documentation center in Hamburg. This central educational site will provide detailed information about the deportation events and the fates of individuals. "The building will be an open house of encounter, documentation and remembrance," says architect Roger Boltshauser.
On March 24, the winning project by Herzog & de Meuron and all other competition entries submitted for the planned "Rosentalturm" in Basel were presented to the public in an exhibition.
The new construction of the Rosentalturm and the half-timbered building on Riehenstrasse form an innovative and sustainable extension in concrete and timber construction, developed from a constructive logic. Due to the parking facility in the basement and the staggering of the high-rise building in the vertical, a skeleton structure with stabilizing access cores lends itself as a load-bearing structure. For sustainability reasons, the high-rise is largely built with CO2-bound recycled concrete from the deconstruction of the parking facility and the excavation. In addition, the upper floor slabs are partially prefabricated and designed with a thickness of 16cm to conserve resources. The seven-story building on Riehenstrasse is planned as a pure timber structure. Like the extension of the Rosentalanlage, it will be built on top of the new parking lot.
From March 27 to April 6, 2023, all entries can be viewed daily from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the MCH Lounge at Messe Basel.
After dismantling the building down to the basement levels, the go-ahead was given on 8 March for the shell construction work for the new Bubenbergzentrum in Bern. This building is part of the extension project at Bern railway station. An important and complex task for us.
On a site of around 4430 square meters, a new station building, a residential and commercial building and a connecting building in between are being constructed at Liestal train station following the plans of Burkhard Meyer Architekten. Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure are involved in this project as structural engineers.
The team of Graber Pulver and H+P Objektplanung Aachen GmbH wins the two-stage competition for the "New Fire and Rescue Station 1" in Cologne. The new building fits precisely into the spatial context of Cologne's city center due to the differentiated stacking of the various areas of use on the two long sides. We are looking forward to working on this challenging task in Cologne's city center.
The jury of the architectural competition announced by the city of Renens for the redesign of the Verdeaux-Pépinières-Saugiaz school complex has chosen the project of the team led by the architectural firm Comte/Meuwly and La Touche Verte Architectes.
Another architectural competition for the Volta Nord site in the St. Johann district of Basel has been decided. Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure won the first prize with Baumann Lukas Architektur. The Basler Zeitung reports about the project:
Heimatschutz Basel has been awarding prizes for expertly renovated old buildings and exemplary new buildings since 1969. This year, three objects were awarded, among them the newly built cooperative housing estate Burgfelderstrasse 216-240, which we realized with Nord Architekten.
All awarded projects and their appreciation can be found here: https://www.heimatschutz-bs.ch/was-wir-tun/bautenpraemierung
The renovation of the historic military barracks in Basel into the new ‘kHaus’ cultural center is completed. The seminal building now stands as a public nexus in the heart of the city. Several press articles cover this project:
The "Zentrum Papiermühle" site is centrally located in the Papiermühle district of Ittigen. For the development of the area a study contract was carried out. The contribution of the team E2A / Piet Eckert and Wim Eckert Architects together with Studio Vulkan Landscape Architecture and Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure was recommended for further processing by the evaluation committee. The submissions of all five teams will be on display in the first floor of the Municipal Building until May 23, 2022.
We congratulate our member of the Executive Board Salome Hug on her election to the Board of the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA) at the Assembly of Delegates last Friday. We are pleased that she represents our profession on the board and wish her and the other three new board members every success.
Link to the media release of the SIA
1st rank in competitionline's 10-year ranking
The competitionline ranking is the only ranking in the German-speaking area that is based exclusively on competition results. After 10 years, the competitionline editorial team has evaluated the competition results for the years 2011-2020: Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure is the most successful structural engineering office of the past decade in 1st place!
The conversion of Silo Erlenmatt Basel wins the Building Award 2021
The ceremony of the 4th Building Award took place on November 2, 2021 in Luzern. Outstanding engineering achievements in construction were honored and celebrated in five categories. In the building construction category, Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure was awarded a prize for the Silo Erlenmatt conversion project. WaltGalmarini won an award in the same category for the Leuenhof Zurich conversion.
Press release by Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure
Link to the Building Award website
Building application for the Campus MITTE1|2 structures for University Hospital Zurich successfully submitted
As the structural engineering partner, we are looking forward to this new phase of the project together with Christ & Gantenbein and the other project partners. The buildings are scheduled to be completed on the site of the University Hospital Zurich by 2028. Salome Hug, Member of our Board and Lead Project Manager, explains how the supporting structure enables a flexible use of the spaces: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih2dxexH7lk
YES2021 Symposium - Audience Prize for Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure
This year, the Young Engineers' Symposium again took place at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The event offers young civil engineers a platform to present their professional experiences. Our colleague René Carpaij was awarded the Audience Prize for his presentation of the Spore Initiative Berlin project. Behind the project lies a lot of work, creative engineering and the motivated participation of a whole team. Thanks to René and his team for their great commitment and important contribution!
Link to the website of IABSE (International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering)
Prix Lignum / 1st Prize Region Mitte for Swatch Headquarter
The new Swatch Group headquarters "Cité du Temps" was awarded the Prix Lignum / 1st rank Central Region. Sustainability was an important issue for the whole project. We are proud of this award and congratulate all other award winners!
Green light for residential development Birseck Birsfelden
The Birsfelden municipal assembly has approved the Birseckstrasse district plan. This allows for the construction of a 73-meter-high residential high-rise visible from afar - the starting signal for the municipality's broad-based transformation.
Competition for the first new building on Rosental Mitte in Basel
As first new construction on the area Rosental Mitte, the canton of Basel is planning a Research Lab Building. We are very happy about a great ranking for our office in this selective competition: 1st rank with ARGE Karamuk Kuo / HSSP; 2nd rank with Itten+Brechbühl / Kunz und Mösch; 3rd rank with Boltshauser Architekten.
Link to the press release of the Department of Construction and Transport Basel-Stadt (in German)
Helvetia Campus in bz Basel
The newspaper bz Basel reports in detail about the progress of the construction site of the Helvetia Campus.
Competition Success: New Building Social Insurance Court Winterthur
A new building for the Social Insurance Court of the Canton of Zurich is being planned on the future judicial campus in Winterthur. In this public project competition we were ranked with two teams: 1st prize with Zimmer Schmidt Architekten; 2nd prize with Karamuk Kuo Architekten.
Congratulation to the teams!
Best Architects 22 Awards
Two projects which we were trusted to provide structural support for were granted with a «best architects award»: The Centurion High-Rise Tower by Schneider & Schneider Architekten and the VBZ bus garage / ERZ depot by Pool Architekten (Gold Award). The award is one of the most prestigious distinctions for architecture and a barometer of the latest developments in the top segment of the field.
1st Prize Competition Sports Center Zurich-Oerlikon
With an innovative new building, the city of Zurich is planning a large sports facility that will combine different types of sports under one roof. We are thrilled to be part of the winning team with Boltshauser Architekten! The construction has been carefully designed and combines ecology, architecture and structure.
More information: stadt-zuerich.ch/wettbewerbe
Building permit granted for extension project of the Fondation Beyeler
On June 2, the Beyeler Foundation received the building permit for its extension project by Atelier Peter Zumthor. This clears the way for the realization of the project. The extension comprises three buildings: the House of Art, a service building for administration and deliveries, and a garden pavilion. Construction is scheduled to start in late Summer 2021. We are happy to monitor the project on the structural engineering side and look forward to its realization.
For more information about the project: https://www.fondationbeyeler.ch/en/museum/extension-project
Article about Zwhatt in Espazium
Espazium reports about the urban district Zwhatt, where a diverse range of apartment types is being built. We have the privilege to oversee the planning and execution of the wooden high-rise building designed by Boltshauser Architekten.
1st prize Holliger building site O1
On the site of the former waste incineration plant in the Bernese district of Holligen, around 330 modern and affordable apartments will be built over the next four years. The Holliger Infrastructure Cooperative ISGH is coordinating and planning the construction of this new housing development. We are very pleased that the team around Jaeger Koechlin Architects was able to win the competition for construction site O1.
To the project on the website of Jaeger Koechlin Architekten
1st Prize Sicherheitszentrum Rothenburg
Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure and ARGE atelier ww Caretta Weidmann GmbH were awarded the first prize for the new security centre in Rothenburg. The building is to be constructed in the immediate vicinity of Rothenburg Station and shall be occupied in 2028. In addition to the security and traffic police, the project will provide space for the food control and consumer protection office and the veterinary service. The new building is to be constructed using a hybrid construction method of wood, concrete and steel. A multi-storey building is planned above the base.
1st prize Zentrum für Zahnmedizin, Zurich
We are thrilled and honored to have won the first prize in the competition for the new Center for Dental Medicine in Zurich with the team around ARGE Boltshauser Architekten and Drees & Sommer Schweiz. The project for the new Zentrum für Zahnmedizin ZZM distinguishes itself by a generous green space and an innovative timber construction.
The award procedure for the construction of the new Adlershof Community School has been concluded.
By the 2026/2027 school year, 1,332 new school class places in grades 1-13 will be created at Hermann-Dorner-Allee/Eisenhutweg in Berlin. The bidding consortium AFF Gesellschaft von Architekten from Berlin emerged as the winner out of a total of 18 participating architectural firms in the two-stage procedure. We are looking foward to the realization of this project.
Press release of the steering group of the Taskforce School Construction
First prize Theaterstrasse 12, Zurich
In 2022, the lease for the "Globus-Haus" in Bellevue expires and the building will undergo a complete renovation for the first time. The client - PSP Group - has decided not to build a replacement building, but to undertake a comprehensive overall renovation in order to significantly improve the ecological and economic aspects of the property. A study for the renovation was carried out by six planning teams. The input of the Basel architects Jessenvollenweider with Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure was recommended for further processing. The project envisages that the basic static framework is largely retained on all floors. The breakthroughs are planned in the ceiling panels.
First prize extension of Collège des Parcs, Neuchâtel
The City of Neuchâtel has announced the winners of the competition for the renovation of the Collège des Parcs. The project mainly concerns the area around the school, with the creation of two new gymnasiums embedded under the schoolyard and a redesigned annex building. The young Neuchâtel architectural firm Stoa Architekten won the 1st prize. We are pleased to be in charge of the structural engineering for this project. The works should start in June 2021.
1st prize in project competition for the operations center of the Technische Betriebe St. Gallen
Together with the planning team around Durisch + Nolli Architetti, we are thrilled to have been awarded the 1st prize for the Betriebszentrum der Technischen Betriebe St. Gallen. A challenging project, whose further development we are looking forward to.
The competition entries will be displayed in St. Gallen City Hall from October 14 to 27, 2020.
The best architects 21 award has been announced.
The jury of the best architects 21 award honoured 80 projects with an award. We are very pleased that several projects in which we were involved were honored.
The office and commercial building YOND in Zurich, designed by SLIK Architekten, was awarded a gold medal.
Other award-winning projects include the Schönburg hotel and residential building in Bern by Marazzi + Paul Architekten, the Mühlerain house in Meilen by pool Architekten, and the Silo Erlenmatt in Basel by Harry Gugger Studio.
Article about Schnetzer Puskas engineers in the NZZ am Sonntag
The NZZ am Sonntag dated 10 May published a comprehensive article about our office and our work. Many thanks to the editorial staff for this nice article!
Again in 2019/2020, Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure is ranked first in the competitiononline ranking!
The competitionline ranking is the only ranking in the German-speaking world that is based exclusively on competition results. The competitionline editorial team evaluates all competition results published on competitionline.com and establishes the ranking of the most successful offices.
We also owe this award to the excellent cooperation with our project partners.
More about the ranking: https://www.competitionline.com/de/ranking
Article about Schnetzer Puskas engineers in the BaZ
Today, the Basler Zeitung reports in detail about the experiences and the latest projects of our office.
1st Prize Grand Canal Museum, Hangzhou, China
Herzog & de Meuron has won the competition for a new museum complex on the banks of the Grand Canal in Hangzhou. The new museum will reflect the importance of the canal for China's cultural and natural landscapes and create a lively, contemporary meeting place. Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure and the entire planning team are looking forward to this project.
1st prize study contract Heinrich-Areal in Zurich
The current issue of TEC21 presents the three projects of the second stage of the Heinrich-Areal study contract in Zurich. The project by jessenvollenweider Architektur was unanimously awarded first prize. Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure and the entire planning team are delighted about this success!
Competition for the extension of Zurich Stadelhofen railway station
The "Elysion" project convinced the jury: Together with the planning team Giuliani Hönger Architekten / Caretta+Weidmann Generalplaner, we are delighted about this competition success!
Study assignment for the extension of Klinik Meissenberg has been decided
The first prize of the competition for the renovation and extension of the Klinik Meissenberg has been awarded to the architects Diener & Diener with August + Margrith Künzel Landschaftsarchitekten and Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure. All the submitted projects can be viewed from 5 to 15 November 2019 in the Altstadthalle Zug, Unter Altstadt 14.
Development of the ZO media area in Wetzikon
Zürcher Oberland Medien AG is planning a new building at its current location in Wetzikon. "Newsstreet One" will not only serve as their new headquarters, but also as a housing and commercial center. The contract for the new building was awarded to CH Architekten AG from Wallisellen. Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure supports the project in the field of structural design. Now the project has its own website:
1st prize for the Meet project
Two days ago, the result of the two-stage competition organized by the association “Airport City Zurich” was presented. The Meet project is designed to create a meeting and working place in the office and commercial area near Zurich Airport. The plans by Sou Fujimoto Architects envision an ensemble of different buildings with an almost circular ground plan, situated in a densely vegetated environment.
taz building among the five finalists for the DAM Prize 2020
Since 2007, the DAM Prize for Architecture in Germany has been awarded annually to outstanding buildings in Germany. In 2020, the prize will be awarded for the fourth time by the German Architecture Museum (DAM).
Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure have realized the new taz building, an editorial and publishing building in Berlin, with e2a architects from Zurich.
Exhibition of the Aula winner project in Interlaken
In 2018, the municipality of Interlaken started a study on the future of the Aula Schulanlage Alpenstrasse. The winning project by Buchner Bründler Architects with Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure involves the preservation of the building and an extension. The selected project as well as the five further study commissions will be publicly exhibited between October 26 and November 3.
To the media release of the municipality of Interlaken (in German)
Renovation and expansion of Helvetia Campus, Basel
Helvetia received construction approval for its head office project in spring 2019. The project is designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure assists the project in the area of structural design. Construction work will start on October 14, 2019.
Redevelopment of the former Postbank Karree in Munich
The project involves the redevelopment and expansion of the former Postbank headquarters, located in direct vicinity of the main railway station. The modern, urban block is to offer a mixture of downtown uses and meet the highest standards of quality and sustainability.
In addition to Herzog & de Meuron, two other renowned offices applied for the project. The designs and models of all three architectural offices are currently presented in an exhibition at the Lokalbaukommission in Munich. We are looking forward to this exciting assignment.
taz publishing building in Berlin
The magazine structure/DETAIL has published an article about the new building for the taz in Berlin. E2A Architekten and Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure have developed a building with a reduced supporting structure.
Refurbishment of Kaserne cultural centre, Basel
The architecture websites ArchDaily and designboom report on the renovation of the Kaserne Basel.
The first shell construction stage ends in mid-June, when the scaffolding and the crane will be dismantled for the duration of the Tattoo 2019. The second shell construction stage is expected to last from August 2019 to May 2020. The 9,000 square metre cultural and neighbourhood centre in Kleinbasel should be completed by mid-2021
Papieri Quarter, Cham
The idle paper mill at the northern edge of Cham will be turned into a new quarter. Surrounded by forests and meadows before production began in the steadily growing industrial area 360 years ago, the spatial gap between the city and the “Papieri” site has slowly closed. The boiler house is the most prominent identity-defining building on entering the “Papieri” quarter. As before, it occupies a central position on the premises of the former paper mill. The distinctive, listed 1950s building used to supply the entire paper mill with power generated by vaporisation of water. The house continues to fulfil this fundamental function as a catalyst even after the change of use. Light-weight construction elements made of steel and glass are integrated in the existing structure to accommodate various uses. The in-between space offers additional room for working, crafting and relaxing.
New nursing centre Kloster Ingenbohl
One of the central projects for the redesign of the monastery hill is the renewal of the care area. The six-storey new building is a central building block in the monastery complex and replaces the old St. Josef nursing home. The 70m long new building, set like a disc on the monastery hill, is intended to strengthen the spirituality and uniqueness of the place through a contemporary architectural expression. Through the differentiated materialisation with the upper floor timber construction, the desired sensuality and closeness to nature are to be brought into the building and radiated.
Spore Initiative Berlin
AFF together with Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure won the competition for two new buildings with a non-profit program in Berlin. The location for the planned project is situated on Hermanstrasse on the site of the evangelical Jerusalem V cemetery, which will be deconsecrated over the next few decades in several phases. Several other non-profit or cooperative projects are planned here. The planning task consisted of an implementation part for the Spore Initiative, which is being financed by the Schöpflin Foundation, and an idea part for the future House of non-profit Journalism.
ZHAW Campus Winterthur
The ZHAW School of Engineering is being extended on the Technikumstrasse in Winterthur to host a campus with a park. The new buildings required for this and the free space will be realized in four stages. The consortium of Graber Pulver architects and Takt Baumanagement, also including Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure, have been commissioned with the project planning and implementation of the 1st stage.
We are looking forward to implementing this project together with the planning team.
Media release of the Zurich construction department (in German)
USZ Kernareal and Forum UZH, Zurich
Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure is a part of both winning teams for the projects in the University of Zurich Center.
The “USZ Kernareal” study contract was awarded to the general planning team Berthold Christ & Gantenbein with b+p baurealisation. The project is the first large stage of the complete renovation of the University Hospital of Zurich.
The general planning team of Herzog & de Meuron Basel together with b+p baurealisation won the project competition “Forum UZH” and will build the new educational and research center building for the University of Zurich on the Wässerwies area.
Overview of the development of the Zurich Zentrum University District
