©Ruedi Walti

Assignment
The planned works comprised the replacement of the Regensberg Bridge (road traffic) and the Birch Footbridge (pedestrian and bicycle traffic), retaining walls rising up to more than 30 meters with integrated glass noise barriers, as well as the 520-meter-long Oerlikon Trench itself.
 
Concept/Use
The Durchmesserlinie was commissioned in 2014. The Oerlikon Trench represents the third expansion stage of the new double-track line, following the Wipkingen and Käferberg lines. On the western side, the existing retaining walls were locally adjusted and extended. The widening required the complete reconstruction of both the Regensberg Bridge and the Birch Footbridge. In the southern part of the trench, the original embankment was significantly reduced as a result of the intervention.
 
Urban Design/Architecture
The Oerlikon railway trench is spatially defined by a system of planar elements – track field, retaining walls, bridge decks, and noise barriers. Together, the bridges and walls form a coherent system. The geometric linking of bridge parapets with the retaining walls, along with a consistent material choice, enhances the portal effect of the bridge within the track area. The project represented an exceptionally complex railway engineering facility with demanding structural components and geotechnical conditions. In particular, the approximately 1.2-kilometer-long retaining walls, rising up to more than 30 meters and partly overhanging, stand out as spectacular structures. Construction was carried out in stages while keeping railway operations fully operational throughout.

Architecture / Design Firm:
Dürig AG, Zurich
Armin Baumann, Armin Brantschen, Irene Breckner, Bruce A. Buckingham, Gilbert Cornuz, Joana Domagalski, Jean-Pierre Dürig, Judith Dürr, Otto Fitzi, Sandra Handte, Dominik Isler, Isabelle Kaufmann, Simon Kempf, Bettina Kimmig, Luiza Kitanishi, Katharina Labhart, Sacha Laue, Tobias Noe, Benedict Ramser, Sandra Simic, Simone Trottmann, Martin Wengle
 
 
Planning Team:
 
General contractor:
uas unternehmen für architektur und städtebau ag, Zurich
 
Overall project management, civil engineer:
ig zalo (Basler & Hofmann AG, Esslingen und Pöyry Infra AG, Zurich)
 
Quantity surveillance and site supervision:
Caretta + Weidmann Baumanagement AG, Zuerich
 
Building services, fire protection, building physics:
Amstein + Walthert AG, Zurich
 
Acoustics:
BAKUS GmbH, Zurich
 
Water supply of fire protection:
IWAG Ingenieure AG, Zurich
 
Infrastructural facilities:
hrwehrle, Schachen
 
Railway engineering:
ig züriBT, Zurich