Camenzind Evolution

Cocoon is located in Zurich's Seefeld district on a beautiful hillside, which enjoys excellent lake
and mountain views. The location's distinctive flair stems from the exceptional park-like setting –
a green oasis into which Cocoon snugly nestles. Flanked on three sides by mighty, age-old trees
the elliptical structure reads as a freestanding sculptural volume that gracefully spirals up from the
park. The stainless steel mesh enveloping the building combines visual privacy with restrained
elegance, while establishing a strong and unmistakable presence.
The bold stand-alone building embodies an innovative conception of interior spatial organization
and interaction with the surrounding environment. In doing so, it caters for a wide variety of
workplace and occupancy concepts. With its spiral massing, Cocoon may be conceived as a sort
of "communication landscape" that creates a unique spatial configuration and working
environment in a matchless setting. The stepped, upward-winding sequence of segments also
shapes the character of the building interior. All spaces are arranged along a gently rising ramp,
which wraps around a central, light-flooded atrium. The space planning concept dispenses with
the traditional division into horizontal storeys in favour of a seemingly endless sequence of
elliptical floor segments. By eliminating the usual barriers to communication, this generates a
unique spatial experience and working environment that unlocks a host of intriguing possibilities
for interaction and co-operation. The floorspace design is occupancy-neutral and provides for fully
flexible partitioning together with the adaptability necessary to meet the shifting needs of future
users. Together, the various elements – lift, spiral ramp, segments and stairwell – constitute a
clearly structured, versatile circulation system that provides for both the desired interaction and
the necessary flexibility to accommodate alternative uses.
Internally, a light-flooded, upwardly widening atrium forms the centrepiece of Cocoon. Around
this, the circulation and communication ramp winds its way upwards in gently curving contours,
to provide a fluid link between all the internal spaces. Internally, as the ellipses expand with each
turn of the spiral, the skylight void opens up in a stunning spectacle. Externally, the building
adopts the guise of a dynamic, upward-reaching sculpture. The dramatic atrium, with its wealth
of internal visual links, generates a natural ambience conducive to communication and a sense of
community.
The facade assembly consciously adds a note of subtlety and sophistication to the overall
composition. The building is wrapped in a fine, almost scaly veil of stainless steel wire mesh. This
curtain curls elegantly upwards in soft lines along the expanding spiral, its junction with the roof
terrace accentuated by an open facade frame.
The shrouded, sculptural stand-alone building, introverted during the daytime as it looks inwards
towards the atrium, is recast in the evening hours as a transparent shining beacon.
Cocoon uses a Air-source heat pump system for environmentally-friendly heating and cooling.

Camenzind Evolution
Zurich, Switzerland

Project
Cocoon – Exclusive Office Headquarter

Start of Planing September 2004
Start of Construction February 2006
Completion September 2007

Floor Area, BGF 1’900 m2
Building Volume 8'400 m3
Building Costs, BKP 1-9 CHF
11’000’000.-

Design team:

Projektleitung: Marco Noch
Projekt Team: Stefan Camenzind, Susanne Zenker

Client:

Swiss Life, Zürich

Project partners:

Bauleitung: S+B Baumanagement AG
Ingenieur /Statik: Gruner AG
Fassadenplaner: Steimet GmbH
Elektroingenieur: Hefti Hess Martignoni
Heizung/Lüftung/Sanitär: Haustec Engineering AG
Bauphysik/Akustik: Kopitsis Bauphysik AG