PROJECT DETAILS
Architecture and Technology in Harmony:
Façade of the New “Dreiklang” Mixed-Use Building Features Innovative Window System by WICONA
At the end of 2022, the striking building ensemble “Dreiklang” was completed in Sursee, near Lucerne. This development offers a successful mix of residential, office and retail spaces, and stands out in the city centre thanks to its bright grid façade incorporating a project-specific window system from WICONA.
A new urban quarter is currently taking shape in the heart of Sursee – between the old town and the railway station. A key component is the “Dreiklang” development, designed by Mischa Badertscher Architekten AG (Zurich). Built following the demolition of an existing structure, the complex consists of two high-rise towers (48 and 38 metres tall) connected by a linking building. It houses 91 modern flats as well as forward-looking office and commercial premises. The Luzerner Kantonalbank (LUKB), as main tenant, occupies significant parts of the complex, consolidating its two former branches “Sursee-Oberstadt” and “Surseepark” into a single central location.
Striking Façade Solution Featuring a Window System Debut
The standout visual feature of “Dreiklang” is its distinctive façade – made up of suspended concrete elements in a light tone combined with WICONA window systems. The façade is consistently structured using varying grid and opening sizes, which clearly reflect the three different building functions: residential, office and retail (at ground floor level). This also reinforces the visual separation between the three building volumes while contributing to the development’s overall architectural harmony.
The approx. 10,300 m² façade features, among other systems, the innovative WICLINE 90 SK window series. Peter Isele, project consultant at WICONA, explains: “This marks our first façade project realised with this new system. The project-specific solution was developed jointly with Ernst Schweizer Metallbau and the planners from gkp fassadentechnik.” Based on the well-established WICLINE 75 evo system, WICLINE 90 SK was implemented with gold-coloured outer and sash frames and a construction depth of 90 mm. The system meets the highest thermal insulation requirements (Uf-value: 0.75 W/(m²K)), making a significant contribution to the façade’s excellent energy performance. In addition, the 0.4 x 1.7 m aluminium windows are equipped with a special tilt-slide fitting, ensuring ease of use and optimal ventilation.
Process- and Time-Optimised Fabrication and Installation
The entire façade was manufactured and installed by Ernst Schweizer AG. Isele comments: “We’ve enjoyed a long-standing and close collaboration. During fabrication, we were able to transfer processes from the WICLINE 75 evo series almost directly – no new machining processes were required.” One particular challenge was the tight schedule. Marcel Wenzin of Ernst Schweizer explains: “We had to begin installing façade elements while the structural works were still ongoing. On top of that, there was no storage space available on site due to space constraints, so all deliveries and installation had to be precisely coordinated in a just-in-time sequence.”
With completion of the project, the municipality of Sursee has gained a true architectural flagship.
