Every building gets its own identity and individual expression, strengthening the residents´ sense of belonging.
Rocket & Tigerli
The New Timber Frontier
The Rocket & Tigerli is situated in the city of Winterthur, Northeast of Zürich. Formerly known for its machine industry and locomotive production, Winterthur has become a progressive place for higher education and culture. In Lokstadt, a city within the city, remains of its glorious industrial past are still visible and considered inherent qualities that serve as guiding principles for the revitalisation of the area into a new, vibrant neighbourhood. Here, the Rocket&Tigerli will stand as a beacon for innovation and modern urban living, bridging the past with present-day ideas of a more sustainable lifestyle.
With the timber tower undoubtedly at the centre of attention, the Rocket & Tigerli consists of three additional low-rise buildings, each with its own expression and function. In wanting to create room for an accessible, including, and vibrant neighbourhood to unfold, the Rocket&Tigerli provides spaces for affordable and rental housing, retail at ground floor levels, a hotel, and a rooftop event space offering unobstructed views of the city.
In breaking with the initial closed block structure proposed by the masterplan for the area, the design for the Rocket & Tigerli seeks to connect the site with the social fabric of the neighbouring plots. This allows for urban permeability, the inflow of daylight, and public engagement while also creating a stronger sense of belonging among the residents as each building will have its own distinctive expression.
Born out of advancements in building techniques, the Rocket & Tigerli takes an unprecedented step towards timber buildings reaching new heights. Paradoxically, the innovative aspect of the project lies in its reintroduction of one of mankind’s oldest and most well-known building materials, as timber is no longer confined to matters of preference and typology; it is now receiving increased attention because of its immense potential as a more sustainable alternative to concrete and steel.
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The project combines the residential typology of the courtyard block with the fragmented urban fabric of the industrial district of Lockstad.
Each building has independent access from the street and easy access to the inner courtyard.
Daylight is optimised in both public spaces and residential units.
Variations in the high-rise facade are generated by rotating every second-floor plate.
The timber structure will be clad with a prefabricated unitised facade system - a reliable, flexible and repeatable assembly design approach.
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- Location:
- Winterthur, Switzerland
- Programme:
- Mixed-Use, Residential, Business
- Size:
- 34,500 m²
- Status:
- Ongoing, completion expected in 2028
- Client:
- Cham Swiss Properties
- Commission:
- Winner of international competition, 2022
- Collaborating Architect:
- Cometti Truffer Hodel Architects
- Landscape Architect:
- Studio Vulkan
- Engineers:
- Waltgalmarini AG, Lüchinger Meyer Partner AG, KS2 Bauingenieure AG
- Certifications:
- Targeting SNBS Gold and 2000-Watt Society
- Visuals:
- Schmidt Hammer Lassen
Timber Innovation Reaches 100 Metres
The Rocket & Tigerli will stand as one of the tallest residential timber high-rises. The ground-breaking project demonstrates a significant achievement not only due to its height of 100 metres but also in introducing an innovative construction system that explores timber as an alternative to concrete.
Towering over the ridges of Winterthur, Switzerland, this pioneering development will serve as a symbol of innovation, sustainability, and community at the heart of Lokstadt—an area once renowned as a thriving hub for locomotive production. Two models manufactured there, Rocket and Tigerli, lend their names to the Rocket & Tigerli development. Upon completion, the tower will become a landmark and a catalyst for the transformation of the Lokstadt area into a dynamic, vibrant, and innovative new neighbourhood.
Comprising four buildings, the Rocket & Tigerli integrates affordable and rental housing, retail spaces, and a hotel. A green, publicly accessible courtyard will provide space for social activities, fostering connections between the buildings and the surrounding public areas.
The Rocket & Tigerli marks a milestone in timber construction promoting a pioneering construction system, which explores wood as a natural alternative to concrete.
Developed in collaboration between the Swiss company Implenia and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), this innovative system enables the construction of taller timber buildings, not only allowing for greater building heights but also lowering the overall embedded carbon in the construction process.
The Rocket & Tigerli enhances the area by creating inviting indoor and outdoor spaces designed to foster human interaction. The original masterplan, developed by international landscape architecture studio Vogt, serves as the foundation for the proposal, which draws inspiration from the natural interplay between large industrial spaces and narrow streets.
Framing the landscape with its four buildings, the development creates a dynamic urban environment through a sequence of thoughtfully designed spaces. At street level, bright passages, green areas, retail spaces, and a restaurant will contribute to an active, vibrant neighbourhood with a strong identity—one that encourages both residents and visitors to engage with its diverse activities.
Altogether, the Rocket & Tigerli complex comprises four buildings, each with its own unique expression and containing a variety of functions. The largest of these is Rocket, a 33-story high-rise, composite mass-timber structure that will contain a hotel on the first eight floors and residences above. Clustered around the tower are three mid-rise buildings: Tigerli Nord is slated for affordable housing. The other two, Tigerly Ost and Tigerly West, both provide market-rate rental apartments. The ground floors of all three Tigerly buildings are reserved for retail, providing services to the community and contributing to the activation of the neighborhood.
In the residential units, the design reinterprets the traditional high-rise typology by prioritising daylight and spaciousness. As a result, the apartments are bathed in natural light and feature double-height spaces. Each unit is carefully angled to maximise daylight inflow and designed with a high degree of flexibility, allowing spaces to adapt to future needs.
From considering wood as a natural material, traditionally used in cottages and holiday houses, the material is now being treated with focus on its eminent qualities in relation to a building’s total energy consumption. Innovative construction technologies allow the wood to join the mainstream in the built environment both when it comes to all timber constructions, and when it comes to hybrids between timber and concrete constructions.
