Since it opened in 1871, the station has undergone many transformations and has become a symbol of the city's dynamism and progress. But time and the growing demands of modern traffic have taken their toll.
Over the decades, Zurich's main station has been put under immense strain by the increase in passenger traffic. With more than 400,000 passengers a day, it is the busiest station in Switzerland, and therefore faces enormous logistical challenges. The growing complexity of public transport and the changing needs of passengers meant that the station's facilities had to be modernised as a matter of urgency.
Another important aspect of the renovation was the conservation and appreciation of the historic heritage. Zurich's main station, designed by Gottfried Semper, is an example of the impressive architecture of the 19th century and must retain its historical significance in the future.
Naturally, during the renovation, great importance was attached to a modern, environmentally-friendly infrastructure that reduces energy consumption and incorporates renewable energy sources.
Bien entendu, lors de la rénovation, une grande importance a été accordée à une infrastructure moderne et respectueuse de l'environnement, qui réduit la consommation d'énergie et intègre des sources d'énergie renouvelables.
All the luminaires and ceiling lights from BURRI are equipped with state-of-the-art LED technology and control systems - despite their partly historic design, for example in the restaurant areas of the south wing.
The journey from the architects Aebi&Vincent's visualisation during the competition (above) to the installation of the completed luminaires in the newly renovated premises has been extremely exciting. In collaboration with the lighting designers at Vogtpartner, BURRI continued to develop the technical details of the luminaire.
Each of the suspended luminaires has three light sources:
- a base part in the luminaire itself for the "lantern" effect.
- an indirect part to light the ceiling
- a downlight, pointing downwards, which directs a punctual light towards the floor.
In the case of ceiling lights, the indirect part is omitted.
The mouth-blown leaded glass cylinders of the luminaires, the milled aluminium lampholders, the choice of bulbs and, last but not least, the sometimes very demanding suspension from the historic load-bearing structures called on the multiple skills of the entire BURRI team.
The luminaires for the main hall were also created in collaboration with Vogtpartner.
The HUB pendant luminaires are hall luminaires that are mounted to the ceiling using two rods and a spherical head. They feature interchangeable lighting units, a spherical head for continuous horizontal orientation of the luminaire and integrated bird protection. BURRI was responsible for construction, production and coordination of on-site installation.
The luminaires (IP65) were produced in two sizes, small luminaires for the main hall with an output of 85W (10,000lm) and large luminaires for the cross hall with an output of 170W (20,000lm). Both emit a light colour of 4000K to provide a pleasant glow. The lenses and lampshade reduce glare to a minimum.
Thanks to the easily replaceable lighting unit, integrated LED technology and DALI interface, the luminaires are not only durable, but also high-performance and, with the individual diffuser lenses, exactly tailored to the needs of the site.
