South wing of HPT renovated for plant biology
The south wing of the HPT building has been renovated and converted. It is now available to the Institute of Molecular Plant Biology with modern laboratories. In addition, the Mechanical Workshop has moved into the converted workshop wing. Both wings were inaugurated and handed over to their users on Tuesday.
From 2022 to the end of 2024, the south wing of the HPT building on the H?nggerberg was renovated, converted and made barrier-free. This year, the Institute of Molecular Plant Biology (IMPB), which was previously housed in the LFW building on the Center 365体育官网_365体育备用【手机在线】, moved into the south wing of the building in stages. With the move, the entire Department of Biology is now located on the H?nggerberg. Work also took place in the main and workshop wing.
South wing renovated
The IMPB research groups can now use an optimal laboratory infrastructure in the HPT. Microscopy rooms, equipment rooms, cold rooms and plant cultivation chambers have been installed. The laboratories were also refurnished, as were the offices.
In addition to biology laboratories, the researchers have access to associated ancillary rooms, a laboratory practical and a seminar room as well as office space. “The ancillary lab rooms are largely shared by the various groups. This results in synergies and shorter distances, which allows us to save resources,” says the institute.
The building services in the south wing, which dated back to the year the HPT was built, were completely replaced. Further interventions were made where necessary. “The basic structure of the building was retained and no major conversion work was carried out,” explains Rainer Brandst?tter, the project manager responsible for the renovation of the Real Estate Management department.
“All work was carried out with a focus on preserving architectural heritage and treating the existing building structure with respect.”Ulrich Weidmann, Vice President for Infrastructure and Sustainability at ETH Zurich
The reason for this is the building's protected status. Due to its architectural significance, it is listed in the City of Zurich's inventory of historic buildings. The interior work was therefore carried out in close cooperation with the historic preservation authorities. For the time being, the fa?ade will not be renovated. Instead, an overview of all the buildings designed by architect Albert H. Steiner on the campus is being developed (see the info box at the end).
‘Although no major alterations were possible, we were able to improve the quality of the building and make it more sustainable with just a few measures,’ says Brandst?tter. This provides the Institute with modern meeting and work spaces that are designed to promote exchange.
The south wing of the HPT was also brought into line with fire safety regulations. For example, the fire doors were replaced.
Mechanical Workshop moved in
The Mechanical Workshop of the Department of Physics (D-PHYS) previously occupied two buildings on campus. The workshop has now been consolidated in the HPT. Employees now work in the workshop wing of the building, which runs along Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse. The renovations have improved workflows and increased occupational safety.
In the area of the so-called Bioturm, a water jet/laser cutting machine has been installed in the basement and the workshop space on the ground floor has been expanded. In addition, a lifting platform has been installed outside for transporting heavy and bulky goods to and from the workshops in the basement.
The D-PHYS workshop fulfils orders for scientists throughout ETH Zurich. Some of its employees work on highly complex machines. Implementing the workshop concept was important because orders from other departments are increasing and efficient processing is becoming more important.
Vote for the architecture prize
If you would like to vote for the HPT in the Zurich Architecture Prize, you can do so external page here.
Barrier-free access and sustainability
The building services in the south wing were replaced with energy-efficient systems. The wing was previously supplied by the campus's high-temperature network. It is now connected to the significantly more energy-efficient low-temperature network, known as the Anergy Grid, which makes the supply much more sustainable.
In the main wing of the building, work was limited to the stairwells, corridors, the goods lift and passenger lifts. Like in the south wing, the stairwells and corridors were designed to be barrier-free. This included:
- The lighting in the corridors and stairwells was improved.
- An accessible toilet was installed in the south wing.
- Additional handrails were installed in the stairwell.
- The contrast between glass and wall surfaces was enhanced with coloured films.
‘The renovations in the south wing have provided us with important insights for the preservation and implementation of accessibility in the other Steiner buildings on campus,’ explains Ulrich Weidmann, Vice President for Infrastructure and Sustainability at ETH Zurich. The renovation and adaptation of the other Steiner buildings on campus to ensure accessibility is a priority for the coming decades.
Institute gets even more space
The new Laboratory for Plant Research (HPY) on campus will also be completed in the summer. This will serve as an additional research facility for the IMPB in future. The new building consists of a greenhouse area and a zone for laboratory work. ‘The proximity of the two buildings and the new infrastructure will provide the Institute of Molecular Plant Biology with optimal working conditions for its research,’ says Weidmann.
The institute's move to H?nggerberg campus marks the realisation of a long-held goal of bringing all units of the Department of Biology together on the campus. This shall create synergies and promote collaboration.
The HPT and the HP building complex
The HPT building is part of the HP building complex, a complex of several buildings, which was constructed during the first phase of construction of what was then called the H?nggerberg ‘satellite campus’ of ETH Zurich.
It was completed in 1967, and the south wing was extended in the 1980s to include additional office space. The HPT, located in the centre of the H?nggerberg campus, is used for teaching and research and is divided into three long, parallel wings that are connected to each other:
- a seven-storey main wing,
- a four-storey south wing and
- a two-storey workshop wing with the so-called Bioturm on one side and the Piccard Hall on the other.
The main and south wings are aligned and connected by a corridor. The workshop wing is parallel to the main wing and also connected to it.
Protected buildings
The HPT was designed by Albert H. Steiner and Werner Gehry. It is therefore one of the so-called Steiner buildings on the campus, all of which are listed:
- in the City of Zurich's inventory of historic buildings and
- in ISOS, the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of National Importance, with protection class A, the strictest conservation objective: preservation of the building fabric.
Further renovations
The fa?ade was not part of the current renovation. Due to the protected status of Steiner's buildings, any alterations to the fa?ade may only be carried out as part of an overall assessment of all Steiner buildings on the campus. This will be done in conjunction with the plans for the complete renovation of various HP buildings, which is scheduled for the coming decades.
Note on the translation
This text has been translated for your convenience using a machine translation tool. Although reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, it may not be perfect. If in doubt, please refer to the German version.
Should you come upon significant translation mistakes, please send a short message to so that we can correct them. Thank you very much.
Always up to date
Would you like to always receive the most important internal information and news from ETH Zurich? Then subscribe to the "internal news" newsletter and visit Staffnet, the information portal for ETH employees.