LGT Bank, Vaduz

This new extension for the LGT, a private bank in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, is part of the core zone that consists mostly of commercial and service businesses. The fan-shaped building is placed on Egertaweg, along which the backbone of its comb-like structure extends, following the topography. As the “fingers” are offset in height and are placed parallel to the slope, the buildings are three to four storeys high, which is typical of this district.

On Egertastrasse and on Altenbach the large form creates relatively short three-storey facades appropriate to this district. With regard to the future development of the neighbourhood, extending the new building as far as Herrengasse offers major potential for clarifying the district. The entrance facade on Egertaweg, together with the existing main building, creates outdoor spaces of various kinds that lie at a distance to the main traffic arteries and are available to staff members as a high-quality area for recreation and breaks from work.

The new building is connected to the existing building by Egertaweg, which here forms part of the park, by the underground garage, and by a new entrance at first basement level. The internal circulation and the connections between the three fingers allow people to move through the building from half-storey to half-storey. All the workspaces receive light from two sides and face the inner courtyards. A narrow middle zone accommodates the ancillary spaces, thus avoiding impairing the transparency from facade to facade and across the courtyards.

The building is a timber-frame structure with a curtain wall façade made of locally sourced, brown pressure-treated silver fir. In the interior, the structure of glulam beams is also the defining element that creates the spatial mood. The ceilings are fitted with clay panels that are used for heating and cooling, and technical installations have been deliberately kept to a minimum to create a pleasant, natural working environment through the interplay of timber and clay plaster.

Dual certification under the comprehensive sustainability labels LEED Platinum and SNBS Gold meant that issues such as resource efficiency, integrated technical systems, emission-free materials and system separation, dismantlability and local timber sourcing had to be prioritised from the outset.