Community centre construction starts in the Maihölzli

The starting signal for the next stage of the Maihölzli development in Hünenberg has been given. A new community centre, 14 apartments, a police station and an underground car park are being built here. The progress of construction can also be followed in almost real time.
 

A powerful excavator and several containers are standing by, some excavation work has already been carried out, and construction fences and protective walls surround the entire site: work on the next stage of the Maihölzli development, including the new Hünenberg community centre, officially began on Monday with a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony. The people of Hünenberg approved the project last November by accepting a loan of just over CHF 30 million.

As part of this, a modern centre development is being built on the slightly sloping plot diagonally opposite the current town hall. This comprises a building with 14 residential units, 13 of which meet the standard for affordable housing. The local population will be given priority for these apartments. The ground floor will house a lounge and the Zug Police Station. In addition, an administration building with the new municipal offices will be constructed. Below it all will be a two-storey underground car park with around 70 parking spaces.

Keeping pace with growth
During the groundbreaking ceremony, Municipal Councillor (Gemeinderat) Thomas Anderegg, Head of Construction and Planning, briefly summarised the reasons why a new municipal building had become indispensable. The previous building was first occupied in 1979 and had been in need of renovation for some time. ‘A municipality that has grown as rapidly as Hünenberg – which now has around 9,000 inhabitants – needs a modern administrative organisation with appropriate office space.’ The old municipal building was no longer able to meet these requirements.

‘This groundbreaking ceremony is more than just a symbolic act,’ he continued. ‘It’s also a strong sign of a vibrant, liveable Hünenberg. Because our expectations for the new municipal building go beyond its purely administrative function: it should also be an open point of contact for people and all their concerns.’

Community representatives and the construction managers ceremonially break the ground          Photo: Jan Pegoraro
 

A place of welcome
For Thomas Baggenstos, architect from Baar and general planner of the project, the groundbreaking ceremony also has a special meaning, ‘because it marks the pivotal moment when years of planning transition into execution.’ The planning process has taken three and a half years since winning the competition, involving intensive dialogue with the municipality. Something like this needs to be thought through to the end. ‘Because a community centre gives a community a face and should represent it,’ he adds.

The project fits in well with a community like Hünenberg, which was originally rural in character, and its style should give people a feeling of welcome, rather than one of obligation. ‘We all hope that the construction work will progress well and without incident, and we already have our next significant step in sight – the topping-out ceremony.’ This is scheduled to take place in just over two years; the development is due to be handed over in the autumn of 2027.

The progress of the construction work can now be observed at any time almost in real time. The project managers have installed a camera on the neighbouring building that takes a photo of the current situation every 15 minutes. The construction can thereby be viewed as a single image, a daily film or in time-lapse mode.

The link to the camera can be found on the project homepage:
https://www.bau-cam.ch/maihoelzli/livebild.php.