Fit-Out at Lokstadt Winterthur

Since spring 2024, the health insurance provider SWICA has been operating from a new location in the emerging urban district of Lokstadt in Winterthur. SWICA has moved into the “Elefant” building, a striking new development framed by a listed, historic portico.

Where employees of the former Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works (SLM) once came and went, SWICA now welcomes its clients. The building takes its name from the most powerful steam locomotive ever built by SLM, which was used for freight transport along the Gotthard route.

Covering an area of around 11,000 m², the space now offers highly attractive and modern workplaces designed for activity-based and personality-oriented working. In addition to ergonomic workstations, employees have access to focus rooms, a variety of meeting rooms, cafeterias, and inviting terraces. Two double-height halls have been developed into zones for project and creative work, which can be flexibly partitioned using full-height curtains.

On the ground floor is SWICA’s new training and conference centre. Clients are received and advised in the newly reimagined, historic portico.

The Swiss branch of the Lindner Group was responsible for the comprehensive fit-out of the office building, creating a modern, functional, and sustainable working environment.

High-Quality Interior Fit-Out Systems

For transparent spatial structuring, Lindner Life Contour 126 glass partition walls were used. These impress with their clean lines and excellent sound insulation. They were complemented by Lindner Logic 100 metal partition walls. Both systems offer high design quality while also meeting top acoustic and functional requirements. The wall systems are completed by the ATB 68 aluminium frame door and the ATB ADS 80 Fr 30, which also provides effective fire protection.

To regulate the indoor climate, the Plafotherm® B 100 and E 200 heated and chilled ceiling systems were installed, ensuring pleasant temperatures year-round and contributing to acoustic comfort.

Great importance was also placed on flexibility, sustainability, and construction physics in the flooring. The raised floor system CAVOPEX, the dry hollow floor Floor and more®, and the double floor system NORTEC – all made from fibre-reinforced calcium sulphate and safe for building biology – were used.

Modular Room Concepts

A standout feature of the fit-out in Lokstadt Winterthur is the individually designed room-in-room systems, known as Cubes. Each Cube consists of 4 to 7 connected rooms, allowing for multiple functional zones within a single unit – including meeting rooms, technical spaces, and kitchenette areas.

The construction of the Cube ceilings was particularly demanding: with external dimensions of up to 8 x 13 metres, double ceilings had to be installed under extremely tight spatial conditions. In some cases, the distance to the overhead building services was just a few centimetres, significantly increasing the precision and accessibility requirements.

To ensure a calm and productive working environment, special soundproofing systems were integrated into the Cubes. The rooms achieve sound insulation levels of up to 59 dB (laboratory value). Combined with the climate-controlled ceilings, the Cubes offer an ideal environment for focused work – free from disruptive noise or temperature fluctuations.