Raiffeisenbank, Bezau

For older buildings, a renovation is often a question of survival. If they are not listed, they often have to give way to a new building because tastes have developed or the building is not energy efficient.

The 1960’s Raiffeisenbank building in Bezau is one of these candidates. It was created in the 1960’s and expanded in 1977/78 by Leopold Kaufmann. At this point it received a shingled facade with overhanging eaves that give an additional sense of the “Alpine style”.

When, in 2014,  the police station of Bezau relocated from the second floor of the Raiffeisenbank building to the newly created security centre, the crucial question was: replacement or refurbishment? In particular, the question of energy consumption was crucial. Nevertheless, the client decided to continue to use the building and not to replace it.

Key objectives of the renovations where to improve the insulation, adapt to match modern user needs, and to give the building a new expression. The result is impressive. Now the office building appears in a new light, one that uses pragmatic means to reduce the energy requirements of the building and that gives it a contemporary appearance.