Schweizerische Rückversicherung, Zurich
completed

new building
architecture
The ‘new-build’ was built in the late 1960s to extend the older neo-baroque structure with a ‘prestigious administrative building’.
Planning 1962-1963 / Construction 1965-1969

The ‘new-build’ was built in the late 1960s to extend the older neo-baroque structure (1913, Alexander von Senger and Emil Faesch) with a ‘prestigious administrative building’. This made the new structure essentially a second wing to the main building. With its layout in the shape of a windmill and its structuralist design, the architecture abstained from any hint of monumentality – though not grandiosity: the parapet elements were made from natural Castione stone and the lobby was panelled in bog oak. No artificial materials were permitted and the structure was designed to be fully air-conditioned and as versatile as possible. In 2007, the decision was made to demolish it. As of 2017, its place has been taken by the ‘Swiss Re Next’ building by Diener & Diener architects.