Gallery ︎︎︎
Vertical Life Sciences Campus
Bridging history and innovation in Swiss urbanised areas“
The Vertical Life
Sciences Campus redefines urban redevelopment by bridging historic preservation
with innovative densification, creating a sustainable and dynamic environment
for global research and collaboration.”
Dietmar Leyk, principal and founder
The Vertical Life Sciences Campus transforms the historic Wagi Areal in Schlieren, Switzerland, into a progressive hub of research and collaboration, seamlessly intertwining tradition with innovation. This 55,000-square-metre site, once home to the Swiss Wagon and Elevator Factory AG, now serves as a landmark for sustainable and forward-thinking urban redevelopment.
The project’s core lies in addressing complex historical constraints - existing railroad tracks, rigorous logistics, and cultural sensibilities - while embracing bold contemporary strategies. These challenges were not obstacles but catalysts for envisioning a new typology of urban life sciences campuses. The resulting design celebrates compact neighbourhoods, inward densification, and an efficient use of space, curbing urban sprawl and creating green public areas that enhance communal well-being.
Employing an incremental planning framework, the project integrates expertise across landscape architecture, life sciences, as well as mobility experts and structural engineering. Housing over 1,400 international researchers, the campus fosters dynamic interaction and experimental opportunities within its compact vertical layout.
However, this ambitious vision navigates the cautious ethos of traditional planning culture. With its sensitive balance of historical preservation and modernisation, the Vertical Life Sciences Campus emerges as a prototype for sustainable urban design, bridging the global demand for innovation with the local need for authenticity and rootedness.
Schlieren/Zurich - Idea
Visualisation: Play-Time Barcelona
Model: Modellbau Zaborowski, Zurich