SHL Medical: Penzel Valier wins the competition for SHL Medical’s new combined production and office building at Tech Cluster Zug

The Winning Project is decided.

The development of the SHL Medical AG new manufacturing site, in collaboration with Metall Zug within the Tech Cluster in Zug is now ready to take formal shape. For the planning of the combined production and office building, a total of four architect teams had been participating in the competition for the mandate. The jury, consisting of representatives of the city of Zug, SHL Medical, Metall Zug and experts from various fields, has announced Penzel Valier AG as the winner.

SHL Medical’s new office and production building will be located on the “Südtor” building lot in the south of the Tech Cluster Zug (TCZ) area. The Tech Cluster is aiming to build a highly networked urban ecosystem for training, manufacturing, and innovation and is also the constructor of the complex. As landowner, investor, and leaseholder of the industrial premises, Urban Assets Zug AG (UAZ), a subsidiary of Metall Zug AG, will rent out the building to SHL Medical. Both companies have entered into an agreement on how the project is to be developed and used.

"The architecture should provide an environment that optimally supports the activities of our employees and the operations", says Ulrich Faessler, CEO SHL Medical. "As SHL continues to grow and lead the self-injection industry, our global presence and activities will be further strengthened with global manufacturing."

As a member of the jury, Ulrich Faessler, is happy about the final decision: “Tech Clusters Zug’s vision to build a smart and ecological technology hub aligns with ours at SHL to create a more sustainable future. It was important for all of us that the design would include energy-efficient features and ecologically sustainable manufacturing processes. Considering sustainable and alternative materials such as wood and incorporating a solar power system while still harmonizing with the local surroundings presents a difficult challenge. All of which was convincingly demonstrated by Penzel Valier AG as their project strongly focused on our vision.”

Tech Cluster Zug’s Multi Energy Hub

The new SHL facility will be part of the Multi Energy Hub as part of our commitment to carbon neutrality in production processes. The 10,500m² of manufacturing and 5,000m² of office and lab space will be fully autonomous through a building integrated solar power system. Heating and cooling will be done by intelligent use of ground- and lake water and all excess heat and energy will be recuperated for further use in the hub. Already in construction, CO₂ will be avoided by use of alternative materials like wood or CO₂-optimized concrete, contributing to a more sustainable building. The new site is expected to employ around 400 employees.

SHL Medical’s HQ in Switzerland

SHL Medical's headquarters was established in Zug, Switzerland in 2018 to further strengthen partnerships with its global pharmaceutical customers. By expanding its operation and consolidating its offerings, SHL Medical highlights its global powerhouse position and continues supporting its partners in the pharma and biotech industry.

About Tech Cluster Zug

The Tech Cluster Zug is being created on V-ZUG AG's main site in the city of Zug and sends out a clear signal about the future of industry in Switzerland. With the intent of strategically transforming the production site, V-ZUG is currently taking steps to modernize its production facilities and concentrate them geographically. This will facilitate the development of an attractive innovation district, where additional industrial enterprises, technology-related services, start-ups, research and educational institutions can take up residence. The project's aim is to create a future-proof urban area that strengthens Zug as a location for industry and positions itself as a sustainable site with building and energy supply solutions that point the way forward.

About the Metall Zug Group

Metall Zug is a group of industrial companies headquartered in Zug. The Group has around 3,000 employees and comprises five Business Units:

• Infection Control (Belimed Group)
• Medical Devices (Haag-Streit Group)
• Wire Processing (Schleuniger Group)
• Technologycluster & Infrastructure (Tech Cluster Zug AG, Urban Assets Zug AG)
• Other (Life Science Solutions (Belimed Life Science AG, Belimed Life Science d.o.o.), Gehrig Group AG and Metall Zug AG)

The holding company Metall Zug AG is listed in the Swiss Reporting Standard of SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich (type B registered shares: securities number 3982108, ticker symbol METN)

About Penzel Valier AG

Penzel Valier is an architectural and structural engineering firm located in Zurich, Switzerland. Founded in 2008 by Christian Penzel and Martin Valier, the interdisciplinary practice is involved in rigorous architectural designs and structures that yields innovative, iconic buildings and urban environments. The firm today consists of more than 50 professionals and is run by Leonore Daum, Christian Penzel, Friedrich Tellbüscher and Martin Valier. The intensive, team-based collaboration across all disciplines enables us to develop and implement innovative solutions.

Penzel Valier works in a network of partners and planners with state-of-the-art digital technologies and tools. The architectural concepts are developed from the brief and site conditions in close dialogue with the clients, resulting in individual pieces, always striving for unique solutions to specific questions.

Tied into the Swiss building culture and focused on construction quality, the firm’s body of work ranges in scale from large infrastructural projects, institutional and civic buildings, residential, hospitality and interiors for clients like SRF, ETH, BKW, Kebag, Bernmobil, RHB, SNF and more.
Penzel Valier is a dynamic and evolving practice that responds to the shifting and advancing cultural, ecological, social, political and technological conditions of modern life and society.