In order to concentrate the training for the traditional railway trades of the 1980s in a central, easy-to-reach location, SBB decided to build a training centre on the grounds of the Löwenberg estate. After an open architectural competition, the project was started in 1977 by the winners Alfons Barth and Hans Zaugg from Aarau. Together with the architect Fritz Haller, the concept of the current building was finally created. Centre Loewenberg was constructed between 1980 and 1984.
Its charm lies in its relaxed layout and relationship with the landscape. For instance, the education centre is sunk so that, despite its two levels, the view of, and from, the manor house remains undisturbed.
From afar, the circular accommodation buildings look like trees: their ground floors are free-standing, while from the first floor and above, the building projects outwards and is fronted with green glass. The green glass is also used on all new buildings so that they fit in perfectly into the park setting.
Architect Fritz Haller.
Fritz Haller, a representative of the Solothurn School, developed a standardised, modular and grid-based system of construction together with USM (Ulrich Schärer Münsingen, still known today for its furniture construction system). This approach was successfully implemented at Centre Loewenberg.
This system of construction is characterised by transparent ribbons across buildings and lamella ceilings which let lots of daylight in. Room partitioning can be easily changed thanks to regularly spaced steel supports, the trussed girders attached to them and a light-weight glass front – exactly as depicted in Fritz Haller’s original concept when he designed the system of construction. In fact, over the course of time, numerous rooms at the training centre have been repartitioned.