The three tallest residential buildings in Switzerland will soon be ready for occupancy: a new “Dubai” is being built in Zurich

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Black window facades alternate with curved concrete elements in light grey: Three high-rise buildings on the high shelf in the hamlet of Stettbach, called Three Point, are reminiscent of gigantic skeletons. In spring, the 445 apartments in Dübendorf ZH will be full of life. The trio of 103, 111 and 113 meters are the tallest residential buildings in Switzerland. As Blick shows, since November, the lights have been on late in the evening in several sample apartments that were already occupied. The building owner wants to make sure the technology is working properly. The location of the residential towers in Dübendorf is no coincidence.

The city has grown by almost 50 percent since the turn of the millennium and now has more than 30,000 residents. Zurich, Winterthur and Uster are the only three larger cities in the canton. “Dübendorf was surprised by the tremendous development in the past,” says Liliane Haltmeier (39), architect and member of the city’s cityscape commission. Ideal connection to public transport with Glatttalbahn and S-Bahn. In addition, huge reserves of construction land attract the attention of many investors. And they were allowed to run freely in the green meadow for a long time. The oversized lipstick-shaped Jabee Tower, completed in 2019, dates from this period. There are 218 flats in the 100 meter high tower.

More high-rise buildings are planned

Investors continue to aim high in Dübendorf: Büezer recently dismantled the scaffolding of another high-rise building approximately 200 meters away from the Three Point project: the 60-metre-high Sorrento with 116 apartments will be ready for occupation from the summer. In February, heavy construction machinery arrived in the immediate vicinity, demolishing numerous old residential buildings to make way for the Sky high-rise. 150 apartments are spread over a height of 60 meters. In 2020, the 85-meter-high Giessenturm with more than 330 apartments was built in the northwest of the city. Additionally, three Hofgarten towers with more than 400 apartments will be built in Hochbord by 2028.

Dübendorf is turning into a mini Dubai. Square meter and housing prices in the metropolis of the Emirates have increased rapidly in recent years. Almost 300 skyscrapers characterize Dubai’s landscape. No wonder another nickname was added to the nickname “Dübi”: “Dübai”.

The explosion at the gates of the city of Zurich causes real estate prices to skyrocket. According to the figures of the rating portal Realadvisor, there was an increase of 116 percent in 20 years. This means that the increase is 35 percent above the Swiss average. One of the most expensive apartments in Dübendorf is currently still for sale: a 414 square meter penthouse on the top floor of the smallest of the Three Points high-rise buildings. Cost: 12 million francs.

Population continues to grow

“It can be foreseen that a few more high-rise buildings will be added,” says Dominic Müller (49), head of the building construction department of the city of Dübendorf. This residential development is desirable and will be concentrated in well-developed areas along the Hochbord, Giessen and Glatttalbahn. Müller expects the population to continue growing by 500 to 600 people per year.

Those in charge in the city learned something new. A development concept must ensure that rapid development occurs with the required quality. “The more densely a place is built, the more important it becomes to design open spaces for young people, such as meeting spaces, playgrounds, green spaces or parks,” says Haltmeier. A park with a playground in Glatt, in the middle of the city centre, could only be opened until the end of September. Since 2017, the quality of large or important projects has also been checked by the cityscape commission.

The gap between the old city and the explosion zones

Modern apartments in Hochbord attract many high-income earners. The rent for a 4.5-room apartment in the Three Point project varies between 4,000 and 6,000 francs per month. This puts the city center under pressure. “Old Dübendorf also needs to develop further. The city needs to prevent two worlds from emerging here. “A vibrant city thrives on social mixing, otherwise neighborhoods live next to each other,” says Haltmeier. This means that modern living spaces should be created through densification in the center and cheap housing should also come on the market in boomtowns.

The city controls this by transferring its own properties under development rights. 270 apartments for families are being built in the “Gumpisbüel” area on the outskirts of the city, two-thirds of which will be available for rent in the future. A development consisting of 40 percent affordable apartments is planned in the “Leepünt” area in the city center. “Many people consider higher density to be a negative thing. But with controlled development, it can lead to a more vibrant city with a wider range of services,” says Haltmeier.

The city also plans to require a share of affordable rental apartments in certain areas for major projects that benefit from increased development. But overall, rents in Dübendorf are getting closer to rents in Zurich, which can be reached in five minutes by S-Bahn. But there are exceptions: in the new Sorrento residential tower, 1.5 rooms start from 1,110 francs per month and 2.5 rooms from 1,340 francs.

10,000 new jobs

With the rapidly increasing population, the need for school rooms also increases. “A primary school building with a gym in Hochbord is currently under construction and is planned to be put into use in summer 2024. The construction loan for another primary school building will be put to a public vote in March 2024,” says Müller.

Schools and commercial areas help ensure that residents use new neighborhoods as more than just a place to sleep: “Development takes time. But we already notice that with every move towards a new development, year after year, new offers are created and more and more lives are developed,” says Müller.

The next investment boost is already on the way: An innovation park will be gradually built at the Dübendorf airport site in the north-east over the next few years, where more than 10,000 new jobs will be created. This means the city, which currently employs more than 20,000 people, will attract more residents.

Source :Blick