The new Zurich Police and Justice Center (PJZ) has been recognized as one of the largest and most complex projects in Switzerland. Inaugurated last October, the Project signed by Theo Hotz Partner is destined to become an architectural milestone by standing out for its remarkable size and, above all, for the variety of uses and construction technology that manages to meet multiple requirements.
Built on the site of the former Zurich Freight Station, the Police and Justice Center brings together different institutions in one large hub: the cantonal police (previously spread over 30 locations), the public prosecutor’s office, the Zurich West Prison, as well as a forensic institute, the police school and the court for coercive measures.
After about four and a half years of construction, the Center now stands out in the city with its 34,000 square meters of floor space, developed on six floors; it offers about 2,030 workplaces and 241 places of detention.
Italian company Mara took part in the project by furnishing the Center’s office and meeting areas with its distinctive functionality and ergonomics. Among the six levels of the building are numerous office areas, arranged as open space or private spaces for individual and group work, a conference area on the sixth floor, laboratory facilities for forensics, and, again, a testing room were also designed. In all these spaces intended for the professional and meeting dimension, Mara collaborated with the architectural firm, imparting functionality, comfort and design through furniture proposals perfectly in tune with the architectural setting and values that gave birth to the new Police and Justice Center.
Among the offices and meeting rooms, more than 50 tables from Mara’s Argo Libro collection take their place – large space-saving tables that can be folded in just 40 cm via a mechanical locking system and the company’s patented anti-shock system.
The minimal and linear aesthetics of Argo Libro blend coherently with the building’s volumes; the chosen finishes-from the oak top to the painted metal frame-align with the natural and raw materiality of the interior; its ergonomics, multifunctionality, and ease of use evoke the philosophy from which the Center came to life, stimulating dialogue, discussion, and operation.
The design harmony between product and project led to a stimulating collaboration between Mara and Theo Hotz Partner studio, giving further proof of the versatile soul of the Brescia-based company and its constant, innovative quality.
For more information visit: www.marasrl.it
