The new Police and Justice Centre in Zurich (PJZ): the foundation stone is laid

Over the next few years, on the site of the former goods station in West Zurich, an extraordinary building is set to be erected: the new Police and Justice Centre for the canton of Zurich. The foundation stone was laid today at a ceremony attended by government officials, general contractors and the project team. The cantonal police, the prosecution authorities and the prison services all plan to make use of the building as their joint base from the end of 2020. Basler & Hofmann has a comprehensive mandate for this major project, which covers a range of disciplines – from the planning of the foundations and supporting structures, to access for service piping and roads, to environmental construction support and traffic planning. This also encompasses coordination with neighbouring construction projects overseen by SBB, the canton, and the city of Zurich.

The building’s dimensions alone are impressive: 280 metres long, 115 metres wide and up to 33 metres tall. An even more complex task proved to be the planning for the many different future uses of the building, which will encompass an office complex with 1,800 work stations, training facilities, a court building, and a prison with 300 spaces. The shell of the building is projected to be complete by mid-2019.